San Graal
by BlueMew
Summary: We have inherited this honor from the many noble knights and secret sects that have preceded us, and we gladly accept this sacred office.
1. Power

Mew here. . . . .I haven't written anything serious for the genre in a while, and this idea should hopefully change all of that. If characters seem familiar from earlier works of mine, then obviously, you've read Distance. But here's the one that most of you didn't know- The Distance on ff.net is NOT the real story I wanted to write. San Graal, this fic, is my original idea.

So reviewers, RIP THIS APART. I want honest criticism, feedback as to whether or not it is worthwhile, if this is way too far from canon to even be done, all of that. If you like it, tell me why. If you hate it, same thing- give me reasons.

Can't wait to hear from you.

_ "Yes. They have powers that let them tear through men like rags. They are cunning and smart, and operate with their own unknowable inhuman logic. That is the vampire. Do you understand, Integra? The vampire is an intelligent blood-drinking demon. The task appointed to our family is to protect the Queen, Great Brittan, and the Church of England from the machinations of these fearful creatures. We are called upon to be a Holy shield, and sometimes a righteous sword. We have inherited this honor from the many noble knights and secret sects that have preceded us, and we gladly accept this sacred office."_

_                                    Sir Hellsing, Master of Monster_

            Blue eyes blinked open upon the immediate blaze of electric light flooding the library taking in the blurry outline of the well-dressed middle aged man standing in the doorway. The elder's grey eyes showed his concern, his arms folded across his chest only accented his mood. 

            "Sir Hellsing, your six o'clock meeting has already arrived and is waiting in your office. Please do be prompt for your appointments, especially those with Sir Radclyffe."

            The boy sighed, removing the ancient tome from his lap and placing it on the table next to him, neglecting a bookmark to save his place in the nearly two-thousand page work. He did not speak yet, closing his eyes once again as he adjusted the blue tie that hung loosely around his neck; a plain silver cross pinned just below the knot signifying his Order, his sacred duty. 

            "Thank you for waking me. Please bring tea and snacks to the meeting in ten minutes, Steven."

            "Of course, sir." The middle aged retainer of the Hellsing family bowed politely to his young master before hurrying toward the kitchen. 

            Mocha hands quickly untangled ebony hair before the boy moved from his seat, stretching all of his nearly two meter frame with a groan as he walked toward the office shared by every one of his ancestors, hands shoved deep in black trouser pockets. 

            Sir Aiden Hellsing was just beginning his tenure as ordained leader of His Majesty's Hellsing Organization, having been knighted only two months prior. The son of Integral Devries fully understood the role he was to play in his mortal existence, but without a proper tutor in the ways of the occult, he would be nothing more than his grandfather had been to the Organization, a purely symbolic figurehead dependant on a vampire to do his bidding.

            He was not the youngest leader of the Organization, taking command at fifteen. That honor belonged to his grandmother, Integral Wingates. His grandfather was the eldest of all recent commanders at his starting age of twenty-two. 

            "Aiden, I thought you asked me to be here specifically at six. I've been waiting for a half hour."

            Smiling, the boy moved to the side of the desk opposite the strawberry haired man, sitting in a high-backed green velvet covered chair. Charles Radclyffe, Charlie, was not the typical Round Table Conference member. His hair was long, pulled back in a tight pony tail that descended to the middle of his back, despite his age and status.

            Had this been a century prior, the knight's refusal to shorten his hair would have been considered a throwback to the Beatles generation, but Charlie was only in his forties, and the year was 2101. The 1960's were nothing but a topic to be covered in level seven history class. 

            "Am I keeping you from a Scottish Rite meeting?" 

            The smirk was infectious, crossing both men's features before laughter engulfed the room, only stopping as the Hellsing Retainer entered with a tray of scones and tea, not resuming after the only occupants of the room were the boy and his tutor. 

            Sir Hellsing waited for the elder to take his scone before relaxing once again, a curious extended canine peeking between rose-petal lips. 

            "Aiden, you know that of all people involved in or with the Scottish Rite, you are the one that needs the teachings of my ancestors more than anyone else, for it is in you that all our hope rests. Our king will never ascend to the throne unless we can have a new army of Holy Knights in our ranks."

            "And yet your ancestors have not been able to convince an army to join your cause since the twelfth century." The smirk spread, revealing another extended canine between his lips, mocha hands now resting on the mahogany surface of the desk. "Tell me why it is your former knights refused to stay in your service?"

            "They have forgotten the mysteries given to my people. That was the reason for their destruction."

            Dark tea passed over rose-petal lips, eliciting a sigh from the boy, blue pools reading into the depths of the soul across from him. "So what do I have to gain in forsaking my King and my Church, dear friend? While your lessons are interesting enough, I see no reason in serving Sion and the Merovingian dynasty. I will lose my title, my lands, and my honor as a rightful heir to the most honorable Hellsing family if I pledge my men and my life to you." Setting the cup on its saucer, the boy folded his hands in front of him yet again. "Besides, mum would have my head for such blasphemy."

            "Because, Aiden, it is through the Holy Grail that your ancestor Abraham was allowed to take our place as the shield and sword against the supernatural and occult threats that plagued the United Kingdom."


	2. Ritual

Whoops. . . .forgot the disclaimer last time around. I don't own Hellsing, nor have I read the manga past the first US release. My hope is to remain canon to the series, as well to characterizations as set forth in Disgrace, Dishonor, and Disregard. Any questions about characters in this fic should be referred to its predecessors.  
  
Original Characters are mine. I ask that if you really want to use them, you'll just ask me. I'll usually say yes to someone borrowing a character.  
  
And unlike before, I'm not going to beg for reviews. I want this to be the last author's note I have to write in this, and I'm not certain as to how long it will take for me to be satisfied with chapters before posting.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Alabaster skin remained well camoflaugued against the background of incoming snow as the young woman pulled her multi-colored scarf closer to her mouth and nose, blocking the cold like any mortal living on the southern shores of Lake Erie would do on a blustery March evening where winds blew in from the icy Alberta lands, chilling those unfortunate souls that had no choice but to traverse the city on such days to the core.  
But this was no mortal woman. If not for the constant want to keep mortal appearances, Seras Victoria could walk the ice covered sidewalks nude if she pleased in this blustery weather, never feeling the sting of the cold winds against her flesh. After nearly a half century stuck in this god-forsaken territory thanks to a vow of servitude to a woman barely related to the family and Organization that had taken Seras in after her death and rebirth as a child of the night she had finally grown accustomed to the boorish, ignorant populace and the equally idiotic weather patterns.  
Hiding her crimson eyes from the bright fluorescent lights of the recently remodeled baseball stadium, the vampiress headed toward her destination- a grand old stone church directly across the street from the modern monstrosity.  
Relief washed over her as she noticed a man of excessive height exit the doors of the church, the silver flash of a key noticeable to her vampire eyes as his green orbs searched the distance for someone, something.  
"Hey! Joe!"  
The eyes of the bishop soon focused on the vampiress wrapped in a heavy pink jacket and multicolored scarf, only her hellish eyes visible through the layers of clothing, and soon his hardened features melted to reveal a smile as she trotted near, hugging him tightly so as he could return the gesture. The embrace was only momentary, joyful as it was. The powerful Catholic Diocese of Cleveland did not need another scandalous affair to cover, not now, not ever.  
"I thought you weren't coming Seras. The plan has always been to meet at eleven so we can get to the Flats before the bars close. It's nearly one."  
Looping her arm in his, the bishop led the bundled vampiress toward the gates of the cemetery immediately adjacent to the church, forever to be washed in the hideous fluorescent glow of the stadium and city. "How many years has it been since we've started this tradition?"  
"Fifteen, I think." Crimson eyes immediately found their target, and now the vampire led the priest toward a large, black obelisk-styled grave marker engraved with pictures of angels and demons, and most surprisingly, an inverted pentagram with other symbols and words encircling it. The carving had been the talk of the Catholic community for years. Immediately after the groundskeeper noticed the symbols emblazoned on the marble, there had been petitions to destroy the stone and to remove the body of the deceased so she could be burnt and her ashes scattered, not able to plague the church with her blasphemous message ever again.  
But Lillith van Helsing's honor was restored thanks to finding a letter from Harker to his second wife that was emblazoned with the same figure- the standard of the Hellsing Organization.  
"Lillith, I pray you have finally found your peace with your family members, and may you finally have the privilege to enjoy your daughters now that you are together, forever."  
Kneeling on the snow-covered ground, the bishop placed a single red rose at the foot of the stone before folding his hands in silent prayer. It was through his approval that the body of the woman and her supposedly heretical gravestone was allowed to remain. Lillith van Helsing had been his secretary and friend when he was granted his title twenty years prior, a student straight from the ranks of Section XIII, the Iscariot Organization. His words switched to Latin as he prayed for her soul, the wind howling around the figures, drowning his words before they even passed his lips.  
And every year, as though it was tradition, Seras bowed her head, lifting a black gloved hand to her eyes, dabbing away the blood tears stemming from the memories of her former masters in England. Only one deserved the fate that had come of her.  
Moments passed like hours. With a ritual blessing, Bishop Joseph Czani stood from his bowed position on the snow-covered ground, offering his hand to the weeping vampire.  
Together, they moved in silence from the cemetery, the bishop locking the gates to keep fanatic vandals from destroying both ancient and modern relics before both stepped toward the closest anomaly to a red-light district in the city- The Flats.  
Mortals slipped on the inclined sidewalks, laughing in their drunkenness as they headed toward their cars parked above the lakeshore. It was only slightly amusing to the bishop and vampire, since neither liked human suffering in any fashion, even if the suffering was a result of their own stupidity. So without any impedance, the two hurried down the icy sidewalk toward the glaring neon lights.  
As per tradition, Seras always chose the bar where the two would sit and reflect about their jobs, desires, and regrets, and this night she skipped the glitz and glimmer of the bars with obnoxious dance music blaring from their innards to a lesser known facility situated in a back alley, far away from the prying eyes of the world- the perfect haven for the vampiress and her companion.  
Inside the darkened building a woman stood on a makeshift stage, purring a song of love to the exceedingly large male population of the bar. In the corner farthest from the stage, a woman was nearly unconscious thanks to the alcohol imbibed in a relatively short time while two men circled her, seeing an easy victim for whatever heinous crime they wished to commit.  
Bishop Czani headed to the bar, ordering a scotch for one hand and a Killians for the other, while Seras headed toward the men, sans coat and scarf, talking with them, shamelessly flirting- doing anything she could to seduce these men in to allowing her the time to drink from their throats, thus saving the intoxicated woman in the process of feeding herself.  
Czani refused to watch as the vampiress worked, taking just enough blood from her targets to render them tired, allowing them to return home and dream of the most wonderful encounter with a strawberry-haired hellkitten, which they immediately did thanks to the gifts all true nosferatu shared.  
With a smile, the vampiress slid on to the stool next to the bishop, grabbing the beer from his hand and taking a deep drink, washing the crimson stain from her mouth and lips so none could be the wiser as to her true nature.  
"I haven't had a job in the past six months. I'm ready to tell Taryn off if he can't get me work. I mean, someone on this damned continent HAS to need my services."  
His clerical collar had disappeared sometime during the walk from the cemetery to the bar, giving him the look of a regular man, though he was certain someone had to recognize the bishop of the diocese even when not wearing usual attire. Downing the contents of his glass, Czani then turned to the vampiress, a smirk gracing his usually stoic face. "I haven't had a legitimate job in fifteen years, hun. We're a dying breed, and if the decision's left up to Taryn and Alex, we'll be gone before they're dead."  
"I'd hate to see the world without people like us."  
They sat in silence once again, the sounds of the bar like bittersweet music to their trained ears. Last call had just been issued- the bar would be closing shortly, and neither wanted to be the last remaining patrons of such an establishment. The same question burned in both of their hearts, but neither wanted to be the first to speak of the supposed new heir to Hellsing and his appointment in to the Round Table Conference.  
Almost as if they read the other's mind, both stated simultaneously, "I want to go back to London", but yet again their conversation fell silent, the bishop taking the beer from the vampiress and finishing it before handing the bartender a few bills, replacing his jacket around his shoulders and heading out in to the cold night air. Quickly, the strawberry blond was behind him, pulling her jacket tightly around her body, arms hugging her chest as they moved through the falling snow, back up the hill toward the church and glaring lights of the stadium.  
"This is pointless Joe. . . ." She sighed, defeated before having ever considered the true implications of her earlier statement, her words muffled from behind the multi-colored scarf. "Even if we'd both return to London, Argetni would find and devour the both of us, and without Alucard I wouldn't feel safe in her presence."  
The clerical collar had returned to his throat; the bishop now fumbling with a lighter in the harsh winds as he feebly lit a cigarette, encouraging it with deep breaths to finally glow bright against the hazy sky. "I've heard the new leader is non-denominational, which could be beneficial. He wouldn't care what any religious group does in his country, as long as the group stayed within the boundaries of the law."  
"Really?" She smirked behind the scarf, crimson eyes betraying the mischief concealed in her voice. "Then if we just happened to find a worthwhile mission in England somewhere, we could just happen to stop by Hellsing Manor to meet the boy?"  
"And where, pray tell, do you suggest we find a worthwhile crusade? I'm sure he knows the activities of the entire United Kingdom better than he knows the manor in which he lives."  
Her words were simple. "We create one. Meet ya tomorrow at Hopkins around eleven. Pack everything."  
In a swirling gust of wind and snow, the bishop remained alone on the street, a smile spreading across his lips as the realization of the newest mission consumed his thoughts. 


	3. Homecoming

            "Look, Maddy," A heavy sigh crossed Aiden's lips as he leaned his back against the wall, chin tilted up as he basked in the sunlight streaming through his office window, the telephone's receiver brushing against his lips. "I know I promised that I'd go to Cornwall with you today, but you need to understand, I've been awake for seventy-two hours straight between the academy and my- Maddy?" Growling, he pressed the power button on the phone, placing a few well-timed expletives in his solitary speech as he returned to his desk.

            Great. Ever since his ordination as leader of the Hellsing Organization, Aiden's life outside of his duty suffered more than his young mind had contemplated. There would never be parties, friends, or holidays ever again as long as an inhuman threat plagued any part of the world.

            Then again, today could be a great day. The last contingent of ghouls from the inner-city mutation debacle had been eradicated the previous night leaving no work for the Hellsing leader to finish during the daylight hours, and it was a Saturday, so he would not have to attend classes at the academy. He would sleep until sunset and study during the night. 

            Such was the requirement for a child-leader of Hellsing.

            Placing the phone back in the charger, he slowly moved from the office, hands buried deep inside trouser pockets. The hallways were spotless, as always. Stephen deserved a holiday for his hard work- he would inform the retainer as soon as he crossed the man's path. 

            The cream colored walls of the master bedroom were drearily upbeat as the boy-leader liked to call them, sunlight trying in vain to penetrate the heavy draperies that covered the windows. Years of cigar smoke had yellowed the paint unevenly, yet he refused to allow anyone to refinish the walls. Pastel tapestries which covered the walls had also been tinted with the same yellowish stain that engulfed the room, and the light blue carpet had obviously seen much better times.

            The budget never allowed for luxuries such as redecorating the master bedroom, so jokingly he learned to adore one of the most grand, and yet most dilapidated rooms in the entire building, making it his own since his fifth birthday. 

            "I wish you would just forget that Radclyffe girl."

           Stepping out of the darkened corner near the closet, Argetni smirked as she stared at the boy as he undressed, keeping his back to the vampire, fully aware that her prying eyes were taking in every inch of exposed flesh, her base needs screaming to attack the child and claim him, for noble, pure blood coursed through his veins.

            It did not matter that he was her child; that she would be committing so many crimes against nature, no. The demonic instinct increased the bloodlust while around the boy to maddening levels. Why hadn't he bedded a girl yet? His generation seemed to consider sex a game to be played at pre-pubescent birthday celebrations, not something to wait until marriage, or even the later teenage years.

            "Your thoughts betray you again Mum. I've told you numerous times to feed before coming to my quarters."

            Slipping a wine-colored robe over his shoulders and quickly belting it around his waist, he moved to the bath, washing his face in the warm water as he stared at his reflection. The past few days spent in the sun rejuvenated the rich mocha tone of his skin, and he smiled at himself, just momentarily, pleased with his appearance. 

            "I came to bring you some ambrosia."

            "It's already that time again? Wonderful." Finishing with his bedtime rituals, Aiden returned to the bed, sitting on the edge as he watched Argetni fill a wine glass from a half-full carafe for the child, handing him the intoxicating liquid before turning to leave the room. "I am not certain if you will have a mission tonight, but stay here until one tomorrow morning and then you can haunt the pubs, if that is your pleasure."

            Waiting, watching, she smirked as the boy drank from the glass, amused that he reveled in the drink much the same as she would. He was more vampiric than his elder sister could have ever imagined becoming, and yet he was not in any other way a vampire. 

            It was time for her to leave the boy to his daily slumber, to allow him the much needed rest before continuing his duty to the Organization. 

            Tomorrow would be filled with new threats, new dilemmas; she could feel the vampiric presence crossing the vast ocean as she watched her child. 

            He would be blessed with being blissfully unaware of the situation until it warranted his concern, and if the vampire was the one she suspected to make such a journey, Aiden may never know about the arrival of another undead to his fair island home.

            "I suggest you heed my advice, my Master." 

            With a chuckle, the Vampire Argetni had disappeared from the room, leaving the boy-leader of Hellsing alone with his dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "I never thought I could be so happy about returning home." The comment was filled with wonder as the vampire viewed the modern streets of London, taking in the garish glow of illuminated signs intermixed with the antique and picturesque landmarks of the city. It was grotesque and brilliant at the same instant, the way only London could ever be to one that had seen it grow over the past century. 

            "It hasn't changed that much since I was here last." 

            Crimson eyes turned to glare up at emerald, annoyance visible on the female's face. This was her city, and she had been denied the privilege of residing on native soil for so long. She could not let her companion ruin the moment.

            "You were here five years ago on holiday before heading to Ireland."

            He chuckled, hands pushed deep in to fleece-lined coat pockets. "So I was. Do you know if Argetni sensed either of us yet?"

            "No, she couldn't have. She'd be here already."

            Silence descended upon the two, stepping unhindered toward the underground station that would take them to the city limits. From there, the walk to Hellsing Manor would be relatively short; neither would be inconvenienced by the kilometer hike at the end of the train ride. 

            Mortals did not even seem to take note of the two as they passed. There were always much more unusual sights to behold on the city's streets than a priest and a well-dressed woman walking together. 

            They passed to the ticket machines unhindered, pressing the all too familiar code for the stop on the keypad before entering a few coins in to the slot, and then carefully tearing the tickets away as they emerged a few moments later. 

            Seras Victoria smiled as she entered the train car, sitting near a window to observe the city as it passed; to reminisce about years long passed spent in the mortal realm.

            Her companion would remain quiet until they arrived at their destination. That was the nature of the priest. 

            She, however, would speak to any mortal that would listen to her tales of life in America, of its tedious obsessions and degradations of its own culture, and how it could never even hope to compare to her home, her London. 

The prodigal child of the night could only hope her master would be waiting with open arms for her return.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            She had been correct. Seras Victoria was the one she had detected traveling over the ocean so many hours before.

            Argetni smirked as she pushed away from the wall of the brightly lit underground station, coolly stepping up the stairs toward the city above, hands pushed deep in to the pockets of her leather jacket, holding it tightly around her body, appearing to protect herself from the icy winter winds. 

            Seras was dreaming of Alucard. The police girl was still such a fool. Alucard had disappeared nearly at the same time she moved to America with Lillith, not to be seen or detected once over the years. 

            He was probably asleep; bored with the modern world like so many vampires that Hellsing allowed to live had done in the past. Not that she allowed any vampires to live within her territory; her fanaticism for the destruction of the creatures of the night being the only vestiges of her humanity remaining in her current lifestyle. 

            Mortals turned their heads to look at the tall ashen-skinned blond as she tread the sidewalks at a mortal's pace. Men wanted her, women hated her, but all stared at her beauty. So was the nature of her kind- to entice without effort. The stares meant nothing anymore, now easily ignored after years of practice.

            The ignorant masses had never been able to identify Argetni for what she truly was. Some believed her to be a woman of the evening, others believed that she was a member of high society, well-bred and schooled in the finer aspects of life, now rebelling against her family and position the only way she could.

            Such thoughts amused her as she moved through a darkened alley, keen ears still listening to the train Seras and her companion were aboard as it continued moving toward the station that led near Hellsing manor. The train would arrive shortly, and she would be waiting to greet her former servant with a simple message to leave before she was forced to kill. 

            In an instant, Argetni melded into the darkness, reappearing in the shadows of a cluster of trees just outside of the station where the train carrying Seras and her companion had just arrived. 

            The vampire and her friend were currently exiting the train. Wonderful. Argetni could use whatever technique suited the tone of the meeting to intimidate and force the two to leave the country, and her master would be oblivious to her personal mission.

            Unless, of course, he was currently calling to her with a feeble attempt at creating a mind link with his vampire, and requested her services immediately.

            Hell, Aiden could wait. Pleasure before business, naturally.

            "I'm not sure it would really be a good idea to walk up to the property gates and ask one of the soldiers to let us in." Seras stated, tone not apprehensive, only collected as she pushed the station's door open with her large purple suitcase, stepping backward in to the moonlight. "Argetni, if she's still around, never was pleased with me while I was in her service."

            "And though not currently in the service of the Hellsing Organization, you still manage to displease me, Miss Victoria."

            A smirk spread across the taller vampire's lips as Seras yelped involuntarily, dropping the suitcase in her fright. It was quite obvious that she had not been using her abilities at all, otherwise she could have detected Argetni standing just outside the door. 

            How amusing. Not only did she still fantasize of Alucard, Seras still refused to become as powerful as her kind could. 

            "Sir Integ-" Seras stopped, gaze leveling upon the creature in front of her, "Argetni. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

            Humility. Servitude. Alucard had not created a true undead with this girl, but a glorified ghoul, a being lower than the FREAK chipped parasites. 

            "You trespass on my territory and yet you ask why I would investigate?" Painted lips parted as laughter emerged. Argetni's amusement with the situation only increased with every passing moment, the laughter growing increasingly louder as she stepped toward the girl, placing her gloved hands upon covered shoulders. "You are a simple creature, Police Girl, unworthy of the blood that gave you life anew."  
            They stood, motionless for what seemed an eternity, locked in each other's hellish eyes. Joseph could only watch, not wanting to interfere with the legendary vampire of his lifetime, the great, unyielding Argetni. Section Thirteen had described her perfectly, and he was terrified.

            But there was to be no display of power tonight, just a prolonged staring match until the aggressor replaced her hands in her pockets, eyes remaining fixed on the vampire in front of her.

            "You have been warned. Leave this country before I am forced to destroy you, and trust me, I will revel in the kill, Police Girl."

            The comment was drawn out, mockingly, hanging in the silence before the night was broken by the laughter of the madwoman. Immediately, Seras was alone, save for Father Czani, and the realization slammed in to her harder than any physical attack Argetni could have launched upon the vampire. Alucard was gone; she could feel it, leaving Argetni alone to run rampant through the world as if it were hers to nurture or destroy.

            Leaving England was no longer an option. Seras needed to see what had become of Hellsing in the absence of both Alucard and Sir Integra. Surely, the supposed child-leader was no match mentally or physically for the lunatic creation that had once been the greatest leader Hellsing could have wished for. 

            "Master. . . .what have you done?" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Notes

            Since apparently some things still need explanation, I will do my best to help answer your questions when they arise.

1. Does _San Graal_ take place before, after, or concurrently to _Distance_?

            _San Graal_ replaces _Distance_. I did not wish to continue with the Dis- titles, as there is not a Dis- word I can think of to describe the ideas surrounding this story. _San Graal_ is actually a play-on-words, a semi-easy one, if you think about it. So forget about _Distance_. I'm pulling it from the account at approximately the completion of the fourth chapter of this story.

2. Have you ever read _The Da Vinci Code_ by Dan Brown?

            Nope. I want to, but I haven't, though from what I've read, he's sensationalized the entire concept more than necessary. All ideas and traditions are taken from multiple Rosicrucian, Star Fire, Gnostic, Islamic, and other relevant texts. The two main sources of information that I am using are _Holy Blood Holy Grail_ and _The Messianic Legacy_ by Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln. They're great reads, and I will probably quote them from time to time in later chapters. 

3. Isn't Argetni supposed to be dead?

            She's her good ol' undead self once again, seeing as how none of the events of _Distance_ ever occurred in this story.

4. Where did Alucard/Anderson/insert random character here go?

            If they haven't been mentioned yet, just trust that they're somewhere out there living their lives/unlives. That's all you're getting at this point. And if I feel any of the canon characters are too minor to add into this story, then they will be omitted. That's just how it's going to go this time.  


	4. Sheba

            The moon hung low in the sky, just above the palm trees that swayed in the cool ocean breeze; a sharp contrast to the desert that lay just beyond the city. 

            This was Aden, the oasis, the land of Sheba. And in the eyes of the Anglo-Arab child that had stepped out of the dreary London world he had known for the first four years of his life for the first time, the land was magical.

            He had promised his father he would not leave his aunt's home while Tariq was with the other grown men celebrating his youngest brother's marriage. Though he was usually a good child, Aiden was bored watching the other children play, for they would not let their Anglican cousin in to their group.

            He slipped away while the woman that was supposed to be watching him had to deal with a more pressing concern with one of the babies, heading out in to the evening silence and toward the nearby seashore.

            But after some time had passed, for the child was certain a lot of time had gone by- it was already dark and the moon was in the sky, which it had not been when he slipped away from the house- it seemed that these people did not care that he was missing.

            Even Father must have forgotten him. . . . .

            "Aiden, your nanny has been terrified."

            The boy turned, tears welling at the corners of his sapphire eyes as he looked at his father, who was wearing a dark blue suit in a design he had only seen in the "low" sections of London, as Mother called them. 

            He wanted to run and embrace the man, but he hesitated. Father's suits were tailored perfectly, or military issue, like the ones every other soldier in the Army wore. Something wasn't right. . . .

            "Abi, I. . . .didn't mean to scare her. It just wasn't fun listening to all of the gibberish that they spoke about me."

            "Aiden, please." Tariq sighed, his now accentless voice barely audible in the quiet night air as he stepped closer to his son, sitting on the low wall that overlooked the sea where the boy had spent the past hour watching the ships come in to the port. "You don't have to use my language if you are uncomfortable with it, but don't insult people just because you are ignorant to their ways."

            Father always smelled of cologne and menthol cigarettes, a nice change from Mother, and the child was soon at ease with the man, snuggling close to his side, still watching the ships. 

            "Sorry Papa. I just, I felt so alone. I was really scared. And Aliyah seemed mad that I didn't understand her when she tried to speak English, but it was just SO bad!" Sapphire eyes twinkled as the boy looked up at his father, a smile spreading across his Cupid's bow lips before he hugged the man around the waist, snuggling close to his chest.

           Tariq could only chuckle in response- the boy had not yet grasped the sheer expanse of the world around him, nor had he understood that people could be very different. Now, ask him about a vampire, and he could probably list three ways to destroy them, but in practical knowledge, Aiden Seyed was quite ignorant.

            "I want you to remember something Aiden. Do you promise me that no matter what Mother says differently about what I will tell you, you will understand that I speak the truth?"

            The boy nodded, sapphire eyes still fixed upon chocolate. 

            "Religion is going to destroy the world; I am surprised that it has not already. Do not misunderstand- faith in something more than self is good, but to take this faith to the extreme like Mother, my family, Section Thirteen, all of them do, that is when religion is bad."

            "But Papa, I-"

            An olive finger pressed against the boy's lips, silencing him with the gesture. "Don't become like them, Aiden. Don't let religious pride overshadow the goodness in your heart. But most importantly, do not harm others because they believe something that you do not. 

            "If that is the only thing I can give you, my son, cling to it for the rest of your life, however long that may be."

~*~*~*~*~*~

            The mechanical buzz of the alarm on his nightstand awoke the boy from the blood-induced dream, and with a heavy hand, Aiden silenced the device as he turned to face the window, staring at the purplish haze of dusk as it descended on the land.

            How long had it been since he had even thought of his father, let alone dreamed of him? Tariq was not a topic to be discussed anywhere in his mother's house, so he had pushed all memories away, leaving life as a series of events spent with Argetni, and only Argetni. 

            Stephen had tidied the room by day, an added comfort for the boy as he sat on the edge of the bed rubbing his eyes with the back of his right hand as his left reached for the robe hanging from the back of his desk's chair, slipping the robe over his shoulders. 

            Ah well, he could enjoy his breakfast in the office and not change from his robe the entire evening while he studied for the academy. Wonderful. 

            Running a hand through his hair as he stood, Aiden walked from the room to the one immediately next to his own, the master of Hellsing's office. Stephen was already inside; a tray of food in hand as he watched the boy shuffle in stocking-clad feet across the black and white tiled floor, only glancing once at the portrait of his mother that hung upon the wall. 

            "I'll be fine for the rest of the night. Thank you Stephen."

            Setting the tray on the antique desk, Stephen smiled at the comment. "Very well then Sir. If I may draw your attention to the letters delivered here today- two are from the Radclyffe house, one from the Seyed family,"

            "No doubt another request for financial assistance." 

            "Yes sir, and the final one is from the Vatican. I have placed them in the top drawer on the right; feel free to read them at your leisure."

            The boy just nodded, picking up the fork to poke at the pieces of fruit that were to be his breakfast. "Thank you Stephen. I will be fine tonight."

            With a bow, the servant exited the master's quarters, leaving the boy alone once again.

            He wasn't hungry. The damned dream of his father coupled with whatever it was the Seyed family wanted were too much. They had disowned Tariq and Aiden upon the elder's death, just two months after the wedding in Yemen because both were Christian. 

            That was when Mother officially changed his surname, telling the four year old child that he was never to speak of his father again.

            But complaining about the least of the letters was not going to help remedy any past situations. There were more pressing concerns for his time; Madelen, the Section XIII letter, the Academy, Sir Radclyffe, anything but the damnable paternal relatives he tried to forget.

            The letters were exactly where Stephen had said, and one by one, the boy spread them across the desk, staring at the penmanship on the front of each. The "Not Bomb" stamp  of Iscariot covered most of the return address, but the letter was obviously from a subordinate- he could not recognize the handwriting. Sliding his thumb through the sealed piece, he sighed in relief as he skimmed the composition. Iscariot was just sending a friendly warning that two of their agents would pass through Heathrow on their way to Ireland for a retreat in three days time, and that if he did not wish for a full-scale war between the two factions again, he would keep his vampire away from the agents.

            At least some good news was to come today.

            The letter addressed to 'Adin Seyed' was immediately deposited in the trash. The paternal family did not deserve more of his time than it already received.

            Only two letters remained, one obviously from Sir Radclyffe, and the other obviously from his daughter. Swallowing, he opened the one addressed to Sir Hellsing, carefully reading the announcement of a routine Round Table meeting to be held at Sir Aislan's estate at the end of the month. It would be a social affair to celebrate the induction of Sir Hellsing himself into the order, and all were encouraged to bring their wives or children, for no business was to actually be discussed. 

            Finally, he moved to the letter addressed to simply "Aiden". Madelen Radclyffe must have stopped by earlier in the day to deliver the message; he could still smell the sweet perfume of the girl upon the envelope. 

            Carefully, he peeled the envelope's seal back, pulling the lavender stationary from the cream envelope, unfolding the letter slowly.

            She was apologizing for the conversation this morning. Perfect. A woman needed to understand her place if she wanted a relationship with a Knight of the Round; both Mother and Father had instilled this belief in him. The girl was too poetic- most of the letter gushed on and on about how she could not wait until he was finally 18 so they could be married. . . .right. Just because her father wanted an arranged marriage between the two families did not mean Aiden or his mother wished for such.

            "Tonight?!" Sapphire eyes widened as the words of the postscript were read. "God no!" 

            Growling, he stood from the desk, hurrying back to his room. He had specifically instructed Maddy to NEVER come onto Hellsing grounds after dark, and that he was not responsible for anything that happened to her if the monsters were patrolling the property. Especially Argetni. 

            God, if Argetni was lurking around the forest, no one was safe. . . .

            He had changed almost in an instant, sporting a dark colored sweater and khaki pants, stepping in to his shoes as he ran for the main entrance, opening his mind to find the girl.

            Her letter stated that she would be in the public stables in the adjacent park, a former piece of Hellsing family property sold to help with the budget crisis nearly fifty years ago. But even those that regularly frequented the stable knew to leave before dark, so Maddy was completely alone with the horses and whatever else happened to be lurking nearby. 

            He sprinted across the grounds, taking the shortcut through the wooded area that separated the manor from the stables, leaping over brush and fallen trees that were in his path. The forest was no mystery to him- in fact, it was his favorite place to hide from Mother when he was a child.

            Out of breath, he arrived at the lighted stable area, leaning over as he panted, eyes momentarily fixing upon the strawberry-haired young woman that stood scratching the neck of a grey pony. 

            "Maddy. . . .God, you're stupid. . . ."

            Grey eyes fixed upon him as the young woman turned from the pony, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at the young Sir Hellsing. 

            "Nice to see you too Aiden."

            His breathing was still labored as he straightened to his full height, looking down at the much shorter girl, eyes filled with contempt. "I've told you thousands of times not to come on to any property owned by my family after dark! Do you want to get yourself killed!?! Huh!?!" 

            "There's nothing here besides the horses and us Aiden. Don't worry so much." She smiled, walking over to her assumed fiancé, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek as she wrapped her arms around him, loving the warmth of his body. "Besides, your home is too depressing and your mother is an insensitive bitch. I'm beginning to think Devries hates me after what she did last time."

            He did not return the signs of affection, only wrapping an arm around her as he rested his chin on top of her head, eyes closed as he breathed in her scent. Of course, that was why he loved her, her scent was maddening, especially now. 

            "I'll take you home Maddy, but that's all. And don't speak of this again, do you understand?"

            The girl pouted, pushing away from him as she turned, wrapping willowy arms tightly around herself. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll go home. I will see you at Sir Aislan's ball, won't I?"

            He knew exactly what she was doing- trying to elicit sympathy, to make him agree to whatever her desire was at the moment. Mother did the same thing, but Mother was so much better at it. 

            No woman should act like Mother, because only she had a viable excuse. She was a bloodthirsty demon, and her base instincts drove her to act in this manner. Madelen should be proper, courtly, a perfect specimen of the female of the species. 

            So instead of the desired response, the boy's temper flared. Grabbing the girl, he pulled her around, fingers digging in to her arms as he shook her. "STOP IT! I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THIS!" 

            She could only whimper- neither had realized his strength, nor how short his temper actually was tonight. His hands on her arms were painful, fingernails tearing tracks on her shoulders, and his words only hurt her more. 

            Madelen Radclyffe did the only thing she could at the moment- cry. 

            "STOP IT!" Aiden shook her again, causing her to shriek in terror.

            "Aiden. . . .I didn't mean it. . . ."

            "LIAR!" 

            The horses stabled immediately nearby shrieked as the girl collapsed on the ground, the clap of flesh upon flesh reverberating in the metal-lined isles. Blood slowly slipped from her nose and mouth; her head lay at an improper angle to her body. 

            Had he hit her hard enough to kill? No, he couldn't have. Sure, he technically wasn't human, but he didn't have any extraordinary abilities of this magnitude. He could only sense vampires, his dhampiric gift. 

The boy-leader of Hellsing trembled as he fell to his knees beside Madelen's crumpled form, petting her hair from her face as he pulled his mobile phone from his pocket, dialing an ambulance, asking them to come immediately. 


	5. Proposition

            Seras and her companion still lingered near the train station, but neither seemed to be making a move toward Hellsing manor. So much Argetni could discern from the conversation she trained her ear upon over the distance. The Vatican puppet had only heard of the legendary vampire who policed the British Isles in stories told by his comrades, that much she was certain, and it had to be the stories of Argetni's brutality that kept him from her home.

            Good, the priest may be able to convince Seras to leave the country, and if not, forged documents from the leader of the NAPHC with a new mission in some remote American location delivered to their temporary residence would certainly be enough to elicit the desired response from the vampiress.

           It was not an appropriate time to duel with Seras. The Americanized vampire still was not a worthy opponent, nor would she ever be, and despite her legendary ruthlessness, Argetni just did not receive any thrill from the hunt of lesser prey.

            The moon was lovely this time of the year, high and full in the purple sky. It was truly a pity that the corona of London's lights blurred the natural wonder, but she had grown accustomed to the sight even in her mortal years.

            But she was expected at Hellsing Manor this night. Damning the child for choosing such an inopportune time for a meeting, she shoved her hands in her trouser pockets, unable to spend the time she wished in the beautiful night.

            Moving through shadows, she was inside her family's home almost immediately, appearing in the office where her master should have been waiting to issue her dismissal for the night, but the office was vacant and the only trace of his scent had to be several hours old.

            Tardiness was not typical of her master, but she was beyond worrying over such trivial matters such as the location of one mortal. Still, Aiden's absence bothered her- how dare he make an appointment and then not be awaiting her arrival?

            No matter, she had all the time in the world to wait for the boy, and she had already fed during her return from the train station, purposely not hiding the body of her victim so she could use Seras as a scapegoat for the crime if necessary.

            Should she wait in her room or in the office? Surely, Aiden had to be somewhere inside the manor- probably in the kitchen preparing a snack while Stephen rested for the night.

            But no, she would have sensed his presence or caught his scent as she moved through the shadows of the building. The boy-leader was nowhere inside the house.

            Nor was he on the property.

            Her thoughts snapped back to the current situation as the telephone buzzed, the frantic ringing painful to vampiric senses. Clearing her throat as she picked up the receiver, she smiled, acting as the elderly Devries, voice cracking as she spoke.

            "Dame Hellsing, how may I help you?"

            "Devries! Where is he!?!"

            Argetni's brow furrowed in contempt- she hated speaking with any of the Radclyffe family, but instead of overly passive while still appearing quite chauvinistic as he usually was Charles was truly distraught.

            "Who are you speaking of?"

            "Your son! Queen Elizabeth's Emergency Centre called to let me know my daughter was being treated for head trauma and your son was there at the scene of the accident as well! The idiots went out riding after dark or something and NOW look what's happened!"

            "Aiden knows better than to wander far from the manor at night. He would never agree to ride the grounds after the sun has set, for he knows too much about supernatural creatures to risk his life in a game with your daughter. Hell, the boy would never agree to riding- he despises horses nearly as much as he despises vampires."

            "Dame Hellsing, I speak the truth." She could hear the engine of his car cease its rumbling with a click of keys before the man stepped out and slammed the door. "The medics' report stated that two horses were completely groomed and tacked, and that it was Maddy's that fell upon her as it slipped when it was frightened, hitting her head on the cobblestone below."

            "So what do you want me to do about it?"

            Radclyffe sighed. He should have known better than to call the Hellsing residence, and should have immediately ended the call when the matriarch answered the phone. She despised him, though for what reason, he could not understand. Both his father and grandfather had been quite instrumental in keeping the Hellsing Organization as its own entity after the imprisonment of Sir Integral nearly a century before, and he himself was always jovial when in the presence of Devries, no matter how much he disliked the woman.

            "I can't travel easily anymore; my arthritis is absolutely terrible this time of night."

            "Send Aiden to me when you see him. Cheers."

            No sooner had Charles Radclyffe ended his conversation with the woman he knew as Aiden's elderly mother did he see the boy standing just outside the hospital's main entrance, cigarette pressed firmly between his lips as he stared in to the distance, not acknowledging the people and cars that passed him.

            He was ragged; his hair going in all directions and his trousers covered with mud and God could only know what else, but his breeding still shined through the gruff exterior, his posture and presence that of the noble he was, not a valet or attendant as one ignorant commoner suggested as he passed.

            "My word, Aiden!" Radclyffe growled, partially in excitement, but mostly in anger, "What in Hell possessed the two of you to go riding?"

            The boy sighed turning his head just slightly to glance at the girl's father, eyes bloodshot from crying since the accident occurred, a gloveless hand gently plucking the smoldering cigarette from his lips.

            "I was going to accept your proposal for her hand in marriage, Sir Radclyffe, but I wanted to see if she really wished to marry me when I turned eighteen, and I believed that she would find it more romantic to be proposed to while hacking through the park. . . . I don't really know why. . . ."

            Another blood-laced tear slipped from the corner of his eye, but this time Aiden decided not to catch it with his fingers before someone could see the slight discoloration. Hell with what the world thought of what he could possibly be- the blood stained tears could be from his own head trauma, for all the passersby could know.

            "How is she then?" The words were whispered as the man stepped closer, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, leading him back inside the hospital. Carelessly, the cigarette fell to the ground, smoldering on the pavement as the boy followed, his line of vision not lifting from its position toward the ground.

            "Maddy's in a coma. . . . .she'll probably be mentally challenged after this. She hit her head very hard- too hard. . . ." Another blood-laced tear trailed down the boy's cheek, this time his left hand was quick to remove its presence from his face as he sniffled, looking at Sir Radclyffe with tears welling in his eyes. "I said I was her husband so she could be admitted to surgery immediately to do whatever it is they do to try to restore brain functions. So she's admitted under the name Dame Madelen Hellsing, if you're confused by her paperwork."

            "No, it's quite all right. You'll be married to her eventually if she pulls through. . . . .she might as well reap some of the benefits of being a Hellsing when she truly needs them."

            Together the men walked through the narrow hallways and rode the various lifts that brought them to the intensive care unit where Madelen had been placed, the silence painful as the moments passed.

            Nurses hurried from room to room to check upon the patients, not even noticing the two men that passed through their workspace.

            "I want to make this up to you somehow. . . . .to make it right for Maddy."

            The brightly lit white walled hallway seemed to extend infinitely as the elder man and child-leader continued toward their destination, Aiden stopping just outside the room where Madelen was being kept. His comment was not acknowledged; he would push the subject again when Sir Radclyffe had his wits about him.

            A quick glance in the direction of the girl was all Aiden needed- the sight of one in near death due to his own hand was too much for him to accept. He had never even watched his mother kill her victims, nor did he ever ask for specifics of how battles were won or lost against the creatures the Organization fought.

Instead, he had to force the waves of nausea back as he stared at her father, his tutor, his mentor in the Knights of the Round, the only man he could trust.

            He had surely just broken all possible trust Radclyffe could have placed in the boy by harming his daughter then lying about the injury. Then again, if the medics had accepted the story, why would Sir  Radclyffe doubt it?

            "There is nothing to do, really, Aiden. I do not feel it would be fair to you to promise yourself to my daughter if she will be mentally challenged after this incident, so I don't want you to speak of that nonsense again."

            Leaning against the wall with eyes closed, the boy-leader only nodded. He was obviously ill; skin now ashen as the nausea tried to overtake his senses once again. "But I must to do something for Madelen at least. I'll pay for her hospitalization and rehabilitation."

            "We have just as much wealth as your family, if not more. Finances will not be a concern." Radclyffe sighed, stepping past the boy into the room where his daughter laid, strawberry hair laying softly around her bandaged head. For a man in his situation, Charles Radclyffe was quite composed as he smoothed his daughter's bangs from her forehead, revealing a large bruise just above her right eye, not flinching at her visible injuries or the life support tubes from her nose and mouth. "Really, Aiden, there is nothing you can do."

            The boy remained outside the room, unable to bring himself to stare at the girl he had harmed so close, as if somehow she would be able to accuse him in her current state.

            "I'll give you the army you want."

            Charles froze upon hearing those words. Certainly, he had wished that Aiden would promise Hellsing's support for his organization when the time was appropriate, but not now. The boy-leader was not thinking, and brash decisions were always regretted in their combined fields. "Aiden, please. . ."

            "Hellsing will restore you or whoever the hell you wish to power. We'll be your personal mercenaries. Just give me adequate time to falsify the true objectives of the mission for my men. . . .they won't be too keen about knowing that they're not in service of country anymore."

            "You do understand the repercussions of allying yourself with me. You could lose your titles and your land, everything that you've grown accustomed to. You may even be killed as a terrorist, my boy. You know what the government likes to do to those of your blood."

            "I don't care."

            The elder man's face twisted with emotion. He couldn't accept the boy's offer during the emotional outcry of a teenager, yet it seemed inappropriate to let something so important rest on the boy's conscious.

            Closing his eyes as he nodded, hand still resting on his daughter's forehead, Charles whispered low, knowing that the boy, and only the boy, would be able to hear his words.

            "Your initiation begins tomorrow. Be inside my library at sunset."


	6. Obligation

            She was not about to leave the master's office. Argetni could survive without sleep as long as she had blood, which Stephen had already provided, as she waited for the child-leader to return from the hospital. The sun had already risen halfway up the sky, and while her body cried for the safety of her coffin in the dungeons below, her mind was set to catch Aiden in whatever idiotic trap he had just snared himself.

            The smirk only spread further across her lips as she smelled the musky aroma of the boy enter the building, along with the cold, sterile scent of the hospital that lingered upon his clothing.

            His first stop was not to be the office; it would be his bedroom for his daily slumber, in the vain hope that when he would finally awake the nightmare would be over. Never mind that he should be attending religious services this morning, Aiden was beyond the help of the Church at the moment. 

            There would be no meeting in his dreams to discuss the current matters of the Organization and the child's life, but a more human meeting- mother and son standing in the hall speaking like the genteel folk their breeding intended them to be. Silently, she traversed the office in a few strides, entering the hall just as the boy stepped upon the third floor landing.

            "Argetni, I've had a helluva night. Unless you have a fresh supply of my drink, I suggest you leave immediately."

            Mother and son? No, Argetni could only chuckle as his words registered in her mind. If he wished to play the game of master and servant, she would be more than willing to oblige.

            "Or you'll do what, my master?" The smirk remained; the challenge now issued. If he was to address her as the abomination she had become, she would act as the creature. "Allow me to become famished due to your selfish desires, hmm? You know what I am like when I haven't fed, don't you Sir Hellsing?"

            "I apologize for not being here to issue dismissal from your previous mission, but something terrible occurred last night and I had to stay at the hospital, you do understand. You may have tonight to yourself unless I call for you, and I will only do so through the releasing of your seals. You are dismissed Argetni, so please leave."

            He continued away from her toward the entrance to his room, bolting the door behind him, but knowing that if she wished, the vampiress would be in the room to press the matter further.

            Just as he expected, Argetni had materialized in the shadows near his closet, sitting upon a wooden chair as she watched him remove his shirt, thankfully satiated by the blood from earlier this morning.

            "What really happened Aiden? Which horse harmed the girl? I may have to try the blood of those creatures tonight. God knows their meat is by far superior to other types. Perhaps their blood is the same."

            The boy did not turn to acknowledge the vampiress seated behind him as he stepped from his trousers in to a pair of loose cotton pants. She must know what happened, otherwise she would not be questioning him.

            "It wasn't a horse that caused the accident, it was me. My hands sent Madelen Radclyffe to the hospital. I may have made her a simpleton for the rest of her pathetic existence." He turned to face her as she sat in the chair, but just for a moment. "Are you pleased? Now I won't have to marry her if she doesn't pull through."

            Silence gripped the room as the boy continued his preparations for bed, folding the soiled clothes from the night before as he waited for the reply, some snide comment about embracing his darkness or whatever it was Argetni would rant of this day.

            He should have been worried that she did not respond. It could only foretell trouble.

            Shivering as he turned, for the silence had remained too long, Aiden could only bite his lip so not to cry aloud as icy arms wrapped around his torso, gleaming razor-sharp fingernails leaving bloody tracks across his chest as the gentle pads of willowy fingers soothed the wounds. This was too much, the blood, the closeness, the forced breaths upon his neck. . . . .

            _I will not lose my innocence to a demon. . . . ._

            Normally, she stopped as soon as she noticed how terrified he was of the contact, but this time was to be different. Her hands had slipped lower, gently caressing the exposed flesh just above the cotton pants; her lips pressed against his neck, canines gently piercing the skin, but not enough to draw a significant amount of blood.

            Whimpering, Aiden tried to struggle gently against her touch, to make Argetni realize what she was doing, but his movement in her arms only seemed to encourage her hands to continue their exploration of the body in their grasp.

God was cruel to his loyal soldier; allowing the temptations of one of Satan's minions to lull his body and mind to cry for more, to increase the pleasure, to make the religion of the flesh his own.

But she was his mother, and she must be made to remember. He would lose her respect if he could not deflect her sensual assault, and he fully understood that it was only through a grudging respect that the vampiress obeyed his commands, both in battle and civilian life.

            "Mum! Let me go! I'm not one of the commoners you're allowed to corrupt!"

            The vampiress chuckled as he struggled more violently against her restraints, loving how absolutely simple it was to tempt the child, but also grateful his will was strong. She had taught him the Faith well; that was all she wished to test this morning.

            As quickly as she had captured him in her arms, Argetni released the child, standing beside the door, watching him try to regain his composure as he leaned against the dresser, head in his hands as he forced his breathing to slow.

            "Remember MY warnings. You do not wish to serve my master."

            His dreams were restless that day, a conglomeration of his pet vampire's caresses, Madelen's cries for justice to be served, and his father's warnings of religious fanaticism all coupled together in a surreal portrait of his life, concluding with watching himself draw blood from a human victim much like a common vampire would. To a normal human, such dreams would be too much to comprehend, but Aiden fully understood what was happening. Spirits were contacting him in his trance-like state, as they could do with most any person willing to listen to their cries. Unfortunately, the spirits that ruled his dreams were those of monsters.

            But what was the purpose of the dream? If it was to be a vision of the future, the child realized that he was damned, no matter what particular path he chose.

            He ate his later afternoon breakfast alone, preferring to remain away from even the retainer and his mother, who was pretending to be her human counterpart this night, even contorting her appearance with her abilities to appear like the eighty year old specimen she should have been. He assumed she would be entertaining one of the elderly Round Table Conference members, perhaps trying to arrange a marriage with one of their daughters or just discussing the fate of Argetni now that the inhuman problem of England was all but solved.

            Stephen allowed him access to the Jaguar, a surprising occurrence given Aiden's age and the fact that he was not yet eligible for a driver's permit, giving the boy the freedom to escort himself to Sir Radclyffe's home, which was just minutes from the Hellsing residence. But all familiar with Aiden's appearance would never guess the boy at his true age- most believed he was twenty at the youngest.

            The drive across the outskirts of the city was routine, and about as uneventful as one could expect for a Sunday evening. He soon arrived at the grotesque new-style mansion, just built less than five years prior on the site of the former Radclyffe manor which had been deemed unsuitable for living after a fire.

            Parking the Jaguar in front of the main entrance- doors to a lift that carried the visitor to the third floor where the actual entrance way was placed- Aiden stopped for just a moment, staring at the office-like façade of the house, with its thin, multi-storied structures that reminded him somewhat of the sights of New York when he had traveled to meet the NAPHC's leader the year prior.

            No one awaited him in the lift, but Aiden had been to the Radclyffe home enough to know exactly which buttons to press to take him to the desired location, the topmost eighth story without stopping on the third floor reception area, and almost as soon as the door closed, it opened once again to the desired balcony.

            The library was to his right, and with hands buried in his pockets Aiden hurried to the place he had been asked to wait for his special training to begin so that he could repay his debt to the family.

            There was still no cause for worry in his mind. The Radclyffe family had spent generations living their traitorous dreams while still remaining beloved subjects of former kings and queens. Why could he and his future family not harbor the same secrets and still remain loyal subjects to King and country?

            Tomes, both ancient and modern stood side by side in the expansive room filled with shelves upon shelves to store all the works collected by the Round Table's official librarian. How Radclyffe knew exactly where each and every text was in this jumble was amazing, but Aiden was certain that if he spent his entire life in training for the task of running an archive, he too would have a system only he understood, just so outsiders would have a difficult time locating whatever mystery they wished to uncover.

            "'The literal meaning of the Bible is for the vulgar only,' Albert Pike, _Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, _1871. Do you agree, Sir Hellsing?"

            Radclyffe stepped from behind one of the far shelves, holding a leather bound book in his right hand; a smile pasted across his face. "Or is it that you are one of the vulgar masses, my dear boy?"

            "I am not. I believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority of God's word. It is man that destroys the literal and implied meanings of the wisdom given to us from heaven, like the Catholics did during the early years of the Faith."

            "Tsk. I should not expect more than such a statement from a child." Smoothing a stray hair behind his ear, Radclyffe's featured hardened, his brow wrinkled in contempt of the boy's ignorance. After all of the meetings between the two, Aiden still refused to open his eyes to understand the truth of his situation.

            But then again, his mother was just as unflexible in her beliefs, for his grandfather had tried to recruit Integral Devries when she was but a young woman, a feat which only incurred the wrath of Hellsing's vampire. That was also when the Radclyffe family learned of Hellsing's greatest secret.

            "Sir Radclyffe, I will leave if you do not show me the proper respect for a man of my titles."

            His brow softened; his lips curling to sneer as he spat the words. "Oh yes. Sir Aiden Hellsing, fifth generation of the Hellsing family, but officially recorded as sixth generation in the public archives. Your mother and grandmother are one in the same, making you an inbred, unholy demon like every woman that controlled your Organization previously. You are one of the youngest ever Royal Protestant Knights, but after those two, miniscule additions to your name, you are nothing, child. Nothing but an accident created from an affair."

            Pursing his lips, Aiden glared at the elder man who still appeared bitter from his daughter's accident. Had he known the truth the entire time, just playing the game as Argetni and he did to create a sense of normalcy in the Organization? Or did he just discover such truths this very day, upset at what the implications for his daughter's married life could be. This was going to be worse than Aiden expected.

            "Who spreads such lies about Hellsing! I will have to purge-"

            "Your mother divulged the information to my family at a private meeting when my father had tried to prepare an arranged marriage between my brother and her. She, barred her fangs, so to speak."

            Aiden could only nod, knowing that would have been Argetni's reaction to such a proposal. Perhaps that was why she was still so bitter about Charles's attempts to arrange a marriage between the children.

            But this was not the time to think of such things. He had come here on a mission, and he would see that mission through, no matter the cost.

            "If you want my army to work for you, inform me of your plans so I can prepare an alibi for the ground troops."

            "I want you to read _Morals and Dogma_, Aiden. I want you to understand every word written upon its pages, and I want you to be ready and willing to do anything for your obligation to the Order. Do you understand?

            Closing his eyes as he breathed, the boy sighed before turning from the elder Knight, uncertain of what he should say. He did promise to help Sir Radclyffe because of Maddy's injury, but the situation was now too strange. Charles was not the person that Aiden believed he had known.

            But then again, Aiden was not the person Charles that believed him to be.

            "I can only try to do what you ask, Sir Radclyffe."

            "Then, my boy, what is it that binds you to me and the Organization I command?"

            "My obligation."

            Radclyffe smiled as he closed the difference between them, clapping his hand upon the boy's shoulder as he led him to the back of the library.


	7. The Light

            "You know, it's been two days and we've yet to even see anyone from Hellsing other than Argetni." Seras visibly sighed, hoping her associate would notice her displeasure as she looked over her shoulder at the priest sitting in the window of the hotel room staring at the city below. "Either we need to go find the new leader or we should go home. It's no fun waiting in a hotel and doing absolutely nothing."

            Father Czani did not turn his head to acknowledge the comment, his gaze now fixed upon Big Ben. "Better here than dead."

            "Oh for God's sake. . . ." Growling, the vampiress grabbed her jacket, slipping it on as she stomped toward the door. "You're a bloody regenerator and I'm already dead. We don't have to worry about being killed. I'll be back before sunrise."

            With a crack, the hotel room door slammed behind Seras to emphasize her words, splitting down the centre from the superhuman collision with the frame.

            She did not need Joe to complete her objectives for this mission; Seras was starting to regret asking him to join her on the trek across the ocean. It should be simple; one quick meeting with Aiden Hellsing and she would leave.

            Scanning the London area for the familiar mind pattern of Argetni, Seras finally allowed herself to disappear in a fog as she exited the hotel, sensing that her rival for their master's attention was still inside Hellsing manor, blissfully unaware that her perceived threat could be slaughtering hundreds before realizing what was actually happening, if that were indeed Seras's style.

            But the populace was safe from Seras Victoria, the vampire sworn to not drink more than medical blood unless some extreme circumstance arose, or as in her most recent fresh meal, that her feeding would help someone from a perilous situation.

            Continuing toward the outskirts of the city as snow slowly began to drift from the sky, she could only look for similar mental energy patterns to the one she remembered as the mortal Integral.

            There was nothing remotely close to her memories of Sir Integra; not a mortal possessed the correct discipline and obedience, perfected through the careful cultivation of the mind, and no doubt inherent in the genetic composition of these recent Hellsing generations.

            Aiden should not be an exception to this rule. Devries had an aura nearly identical to her mother's, but there was nothing, not even the faintest hint of the former Sir Integral Wingates Hellsing remaining in the entire population of London and its surrounding areas.

            Walking at a mortal's pace toward the western limits of the city, Seras stopped as she felt an all too familiar presence engulf her senses. Argetni. She was going to be furious; Seras needed to hurry back to the hotel.

            Damn Joe for being correct.

            She was about to blindly turn and in true cowardice run for the hotel or nearest safe haven when the scent belonging to the mental pattern registered in her nostrils.

            Vampires are scentless- therefore the mind signature of Argetni could only possibly belong to one other person- Aiden Hellsing.

            A wicked grin graced her lips as she started trotting toward the scent, dodging the few pedestrians that were scattered about the sidewalks.

            This would be perfect- a late night meeting with the boy-leader of Hellsing away from the manor and his protector.

            But what would the meeting prove? That there was a new leader of Hellsing? That another regenerator had been born of a vampire? That Argetni had finally embraced vampirism to its fullest and was beyond the petty mortal game of keeping up appearances?

            Suddenly, the entire trip seemed a waste of time and energy. Seras had known the answer to all of those questions the moment she heard the rumors of Dame Devries relinquishing her rights as the leader of the Organization.

            Shoving hands deep in to her coat pockets, Seras scanned the area where the scent was leading her- an ultra-modern home that looked virtually impenetrable, even from the few balconies that jutted from the upper floors. The boy Hellsing was inside, and there was another human with him; a middle aged male.

            Perhaps this was one of the new Knights of the Round and the boy was on a social call. It would be quite impolite to intrude on their meeting, but Seras's curiosity was piqued when she watched two men- the dark haired one much taller than the red haired one- pass across one of the enclosed balconies in to another room.

            So that was the child Hellsing; an olive skinned black haired specimen. Had Argetni chosen this child's father for a specific reason, or was the boy a byproduct of one of her cravings? 

            It was time to listen and wait for the perfect opportunity for the meeting.

-------

            "I really fail to see how reviewing history is going to help me fulfill my obligation to you and your mission Charlie. My mother already gave me the talk about the Catholics and the tragedies they have allowed to happen throughout time; so believe me. I don't trust them."

            Charles Radclyffe leaned against the nearest bookshelf watching the boy half-heartedly skim the pages of the text in front of him, remaining silent. He knew the boy well enough to know what Aiden would do when presented with an uncomfortable situation.

           "Inquisitions are the way of Rome. I mean, Iscariot still is on their quest to rid the world of heathens, heretics, and hellish beasts. Over two millennia and they still have the same orders."

            "And what are those orders, since you know so much of the Catholics, Sir Hellsing?" A slight smile softened the features of the elder man's face, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous light. "Enlighten me."

            "To search and destroy all those that oppose God. . . ."

            Moving from his position against the bookshelf; the mischievous smile still crossing his lips, Radclyffe leaned over the book, staring in to the boy's eyes. "So what makes Hellsing different from Iscariot? You're both religious fanatics driven to hate each other because some ancient king refused to be content with the circumstances of his life. I spit upon the throne of Saint Peter and the Anglican church."

            The boy's eyes grew wide at the comment, shocked that someone so close to the royal family, someone that even claimed to be of royal blood, could speak such traitorous and heretical words. Radclyffe was a Royal Protestant Knight, and yet he seemed quite passionate of his distaste for religion.

            "So. . .how. . . how did you become one of us then? Surely one of your family had to be Protestant to become involved with the Knights."

            Radclyffe moved from the boy, sitting in a chair across the table from Aiden, hands folded on the wooden surface. "We were the ones responsible for the enlightenment of society, my dear boy, and yet it was through the works of our upper echelons that we became notorious for witch hunts and the control and banishment of demons. That is what gained Professor van Helsing's attention, as well as the kind eye of the Crown. We saved England from the threat of Vlad Tepes."

            "Nonsense. It is common knowledge that Abraham van Helsing came to help the Harker family and Miss Westerna, and in time captured and trained Tepes."

            Charles could only laugh at the boy's comment; apparently his mother had yet to inform him of the real truth, the one not blurred by pulp fiction.

            "Read Abraham's journals and see if I am correct, Aiden. Abraham was a friend and student of The Light. Unfortunately, this was omitted from your family's book because the Order did not wish to be known, but in reality, it was through our leaders that van Helsing received the appropriate advice so that Tepes could be contained."

            "You lie!"

            "Do I? Go home and rest Aiden. You have school tomorrow."

            Standing from the chair, Charles Radclyffe exited the library in silence. Aiden was still quite dumbstruck by the conversation to feel any emotion, but slowly, as he moved from the office, his anger began to rise.

            His mother would not lie about such important matters, such as the rise to prominence of the Hellsing Organization or the capture of Alucard! Nor would she omit any information about the most famous Hellsing family member, even if he was affiliated with someone or something that openly supported the occult traditions. Every leader of the Organization dabbled in the mysteries of the past, for it was the only way to contain the resident vampire's powers. It made absolutely no sense to hide something that was considered common knowledge!

            Arriving on the balcony, Aiden could not see his tutor anywhere on the floor with him- the mansion must have secret passages that even Madelen had not known of, for she liked to show him all of the places they could hide in case the need ever arose for any intimate encounters.

            His only option was to return home and search the archives for the records Radclyffe had spoken of in order to find the supposed missing information of Abraham's life. He would need to have evidence to disprove Charlie's statements.  

            If Abraham had been affiliated with the Scottish Rite, though he now doubted that was the true name of Radclyffe's order, why would he have insisted to make the Hellsing Organization a separate entity if they had the same basic objectives? Surely, the two groups would have coincided if Charles spoke the truth, and still should be connected in some manner to the present day.

            Yet his mother hated the Radclyffe family. She, who had been alive for over a century, never spoke a kind word of the living or former Sir Radclyffes, saying that they should not be knights, nor should they have the ancient titles bestowed upon them by Queen Victoria.

            Something had happened between the families, and he needed to discover the truth as soon as possible in order to guide his decisions with the business dealings between Hellsing and the Rite.

            The night air was chilling as he stepped from the elevator toward the snow-covered car waiting at the front entrance, and he had left his winter coat in the library. If not for wanting to leave immediately, Aiden would have returned to collect his belongings, but he could not stay at Radclyffe's manor home any longer this evening.

            With a sigh, he pressed a button on the key ring, and the entire car was cleared of the wet snow almost instantly; steam now rising from the vehicle.

            But he stopped as he was about to take his position in the driver's seat, staring at the strawberry haired vampire half asleep on the passenger side.

            "Thought you were never coming out." She extended a hand, smiling sweetly as she glanced through her scarf at him. "My name's Seras Victoria; Hellsing special military forces, retired."

            Instinctively, the boy pulled his gun, sending a silver bullet straight for her head, which the finely tuned reflexes of the vampire could easily catch in the fleshy part of her arm, eyes glowing from behind their protection.

            "Is that how you treat all former employees? You try to shoot them in the head?" Seras snorted, patting the seat to invite him to sit, which Aiden did, more from the want to be warm than the want to be near this woman.

            "How do I know you're not trying to kill me, vampire?"

            "Simple." Smiling, Seras pulled her scarf from her mouth as the car slowly turned from the drive. "You're not dead yet. And Argetni would kill me if anything were to happen to you. She's far too old for the round table members to believe she conceived another child."

            He purposely stared at the road for a few moments; the tension high between the two, but soon he decided that this little vampire was decent enough, and as the boy relaxed, the car moved quicker towards the destination. "Fair enough. What brings you to my country?"

            "Rumors of a new leader of Hellsing brought me here."

            Turning on to the highway, the car now accelerated to near two-hundred kliks, pushing only Aiden back in his seat. "So you've found the new leader of Hellsing. Your mission is accomplished."

            "So it is."

            Casting a sideways glance at her, Aiden turned from the highway on to a regular road, heading for the line of roundabouts that would eventually bring him home. "When did you serve Hellsing? Mum never mentioned anything about another female vampire besides Argetni in the service of the family."

            "I served under two leaders- Sir Integra and Sir Harker. Upon the massacre of most of the family, I followed Lillith in order to protect her from Argetni."

            The car slid easily through the first roundabout, jarring the passengers in the swift turns. "I fail to see why you would be omitted from historical records."

            She knew he still doubted the authenticity of her claim, which if her transfer to Hellsing had never been documented by Sir Integra, she technically never did work for the Organization. "Have you ever seen the Harkonen Cannon?"

            "Of course. It's one of the prize pieces of our armory's collection and one of the finest creations of the late Walter Ddollneazz. How do you know of it?"

            "That was my weapon."

            Aiden focused on the drive, turning the next two roundabouts in silence. If an undead employee was omitted from the archives, one that worked for at least twenty years as a Hellsing operative, perhaps what Radclyffe said about the family earlier that evening was true.

            "Sorry to leave so suddenly, but I can't let Argetni find me on Hellsing property. If you wish to talk, call for me. I'll be listening."

            Disappearing in a cloud of fog that permeated the passenger side window, all that remained of Seras Victoria in the car was a business card for some chimney sweep service with a number scribbled upon the backside.

-----

            The antique stone walls lining the cellar room had grown dark with age, though now the newest tenant lined the dreary grey with tapestries and added plush chairs and a lovely canopy bed draped with airy pastel linens. Only the polished black coffin hinted toward the occupant's true nature.

            Her hunger was not terrible this night; blood would be sufficient to quell the desire.

            But she was agitated this evening, and for the first time in so many years, Argetni could not pinpoint the source of her problem. Aiden had gone out tonight to see the girl he had injured, at least that was the answer Stephen had given her. Was she worried for his safety? Not likely.

            Yet if Sir Radclyffe had met the boy at the hospital, that could be causing her anxiety. No matter how stern her warnings about the dangers of becoming involved with a Radclyffe, Aiden was either too thick or naïve to listen and understand her words.

            He would not remain at Radclyffe's home long, that much she was certain, as the only redeeming quality of the knight was the value  he placed upon education. Aiden would at least go to the academy in a few hours if he was not sent home to sleep and prepare for the next day's classes.

            Chuckling to herself as she opened a blood packet from the ice bucket upon the table, she could only imagine the fun she would have the next day.


	8. The Order

            It had been the second sleepless night in a row for Aiden, this time not spent in a hospital, but in the basement archives searching for any document that could possibly include any information of Seras Victoria or Abraham's instructor.

            He could feel Argetni touch his mind quite a few times during the night, and each time he tried his best to project an image of the vampire he had met before returning home as to not inform her of the true objective of the search. Certainly, it was important to know exactly what Miss Victoria was capable of doing to his fair country, but to his child's mind the validity of his mother's lessons throughout the years seemed more important.

            The search for Miss Victoria proved more fruitful than the search for Abraham's early life. In a log kept by Ddollneazz, her name was mentioned numerous times, as well as the fact that she joined Hellsing as a vampire. Drawing the conclusion that his mother, while still mortal, was too preoccupied with leading the Organization to keep trivial daily activity logs, Aiden decided that the vampire he recently spoke to was indeed what she claimed to be.

           Her powers remained unknown, but he could safely assume that since Argetni did not perceive her as a threat, she was less powerful than his mother.

            As for Abraham, certainly he did something to upset either the Royal Family or some high ranking government official to warrant his forced exile from Holland. Though what he could have done to upset the Dutch leaders was never mentioned once in any of his journals between Tepes' capture and his death. He must have been quite disgraced by whatever he had done to speak of the event afterwards.

            Usually when he searched the archives, his mother would periodically visit to check his progress or give hints to expediate his search, but Argetni never appeared in the archives once, nor did she disrupt his breakfast, shower, or commute to the Academy.

            It was highly unusual for her to leave him alone for so many hours, but Aiden welcomed the blessing of her absence. He could relax, with only the worries of a normal student weighing on his mind for a few hours.

            The Academy of St. Sebastian had not been the first choice for Aiden's traditional education, but with his recent appointment to both the Royal Protestant Knights and the head of the Hellsing family, he could not travel hours away to the southwestern shores of the country as he had done in the lower levels. His mother had not liked the choice of a formerly Catholic institution for her son's education, but Aiden assured her that if Sir Aislan's son and Sir Radclyffe's daughter both were enrolled there, religion would not be a problem.

            The room where his first class met was already filled with students in the usual grey jacket and pant sets accented by a federal blue tie, most clacking the keys of the computers in front of them as they finished their homework from the previous day.

            His seat was near the back of the room, next to his friend Nigel Wilkes, a broad shouldered, orange haired young man who was currently smiling about whatever was on his monitor's screen. Quietly, he slid  in to his chair as the professor skimmed a book, only looking up as the tone sounded to officially start the school day.

            "Good morning." The professor stood from his desk as Aiden turned his computer on, shoving a miniscule disk in to its side as the machine whirred to life. "I am only half way through your term papers, and I must say the majority of those I have read are dismal. It is pathetic enough that most of you couldn't tell me the order of monarchs starting with Queen Elizabeth II to the present, let alone not being able to write a fifteen page essay about one law passed between 1990 and 2000."

            A collective groan echoed through the room as the students looked between each other. Aiden was not immune to such behavior, shrugging at Nigel halfheartedly when his friend turned toward him.

            "Of course, I did read one excellent essay last night. Miss Radclyffe, your insight into Freemasonry as related to your topic was quite, enlightening." Looking over his glasses toward the empty seat just opposite Aiden, Professor Hall furrowed his brows in contemplation before speaking once again. "Where is Miss Radclyffe?"

            He had been hoping someone else would raise their hand; one of Maddy's other friends, but the class all looked to him, so with a sigh, Aiden raised his hand just slightly above his desk.

            "Yes, Sir Hellsing?"

            "Madelen is in the hospital, professor."

            The gasps from most of his female classmates surprised him- surely Charlie had informed the school and her closest friends of the accident. But no sooner had he stopped speaking, a few of the girls crowded around his desk demanding to know what was wrong.

            "Back to your seats!" Professor Hall shouted over the voices of the girls waiting for the latest gossip, and as they all backed away, Aiden sighed again, happy to be rid of the frenzied mob. Once order had been restored to the class, the professor turned toward Aiden, folding his hands as he sat in the larger wooden chair behind his desk.

            "Why is Miss Radclyffe in the hospital?"

            Sighing once again, Aiden closed his eyes as he lowered his head, hands folded neatly upon his lap. "Madelen came to visit me two days ago, insisting that we go on a hack. Her horse slipped on the stone leading from the stable and fell, hitting her head in to the wall, then the floor. She's still unconscious."

            The entire class remained silent for a few moments, then slowly some students whispered their thoughts about the accident to one another, but Professor Hall did not stop the noise as he usually would. Instead, he stood from his chair and walked to Aiden, placing a hand upon his shoulder.

            "Would you like to be excused from class?"

            "Yes, professor."

            The elderly man nodded, patting the boy's shoulder before stepping back toward his desk. "I'll inform the rest of your instructors. Take care Aiden."

ooo

            "Still no change? Alright. I'll keep praying. Cheers." Flipping his mobile shut, Aiden leaned back against his headboard, knees drawn close to his chest to balance _Morals and Dogma_ upon them.

            The book was meaningless; written by some half-witted American to elicit a reaction from the Puritanistic-like judgment of his time. No one was ignorant enough to believe the true Ancient Scottish Rite actually existed in the Americas, let alone was led by some heretic.

            The old Rite was a division of Freemasonry, which if his memory served him correctly, was a branch of the ancient Knights Templar, who were altogether a Christian order, despite a few odd beliefs held by a minority of its membership. The Americans had created a bastardized version of Freemasonry, calling for benevolent acts and other rubbish, but no matter what was written in this book, his opinion would not be changed. Even Sir Radclyffe was allowed to be cynical about religion at the moment because of Maddy's ailment, but as he had said the night before, the Radclyffe's had to be a staunch Christian family to have been accepted in to the Royal Protestant Knights.

            Besides, Aiden assured himself, the New Rite which was created after the collapse of Freemasonry in the late 2050's was merely a library for the antique and obscure.

            The book hit the floor with a muffled thud as he thrust it aside, his head taking its place upon his knees. Argetni was asleep, Stephen was out; he was virtually alone in the vast expanse of the manor.

            He jumped as his mobile chimed, looking down at the tiny phone before picking it up, masking all emotion in his voice before he spoke. Sir Elwood, the current leader of MI-5, had apparently found his private number.

            "This had better be important James." Aiden hissed in to the mobile, covering the receiver just slightly with his hand. "I stay at the academy until four. You're interrupting my literature lesson."

            "I apologize for the intrusion Aiden, but we have just received information that a small but powerful group of Irish Loyalists have found some old technology that your lot might be interested in. We have either a vampire or a serial killer that drains all the blood from his victims through tiny wounds on their necks currently running rampant near Ballymacarrett. This just seemed like an assignment fit for Hellsing."

            The FREAK chip must have been discovered again, which was nothing of major importance. Why should he bother Argetni with such simple tasks? A few FREAKS would only serve to feed her boredom, not alleviate it for a moment.

            "Where are they now? And how many are confirmed dead?"

            "The locals have found five bodies that were first drained of their blood, then decapitated. We would have called you sooner, but they did not notice the blood loss before the fatal injury until the most recent victim."

            He removed his hand from the receiver, groaning while leaning back against the headboard, feet now upon the mattress. "Where are the monsters? Catholic or Protestant territory?"

            "My apologies, but they are obviously in Catholic territory. The vampires have yet to leave their own religion and fanatic hate for Protestants, so much has been apparent by their choice of victims and the symbols they paint in blood upon the bodies and ground around each corpse. The victims have all been administrators or officials of the Anglican Church."

            "I would have to break a century-old treaty with the Vatican to assist with this mission. I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I do not wish to anger any association with Alexander Anderson as its leader." The hand holding the mobile dropped to the bed, only lightly grasping the phone.

            "Wait! Aiden! Hear me out!" Sighing, he brought the mobile back to his ear, confirming his presence with a curt reply. He was not to move in Catholic territory, no matter what. It was only in this manner that Iscariot left Hellsing alone. "The last murder was witnessed by one of our undercover agents. The assailant is said to have been dressed in red Victorian garments, with pallid skin tones and nearly white hair. His height was near yours; which as you know, not many men or women are nearly two meters.

            "The agent says that the assailant noticed him, but instead of attacking turned and walked from the nearly dead victim; a deep laugh filling the night as he disappeared into the dark."

            "Did he paint any of the symbols or leave any sort of calling card after his kill?"

            "No, Sir. The victim was left to die slowly, but the assailant did not remain with the man."

            "I need to return to class," the boy whispered, placing his free hand over the receiver. "but I will call you as soon as I discuss the matter with my commanders. Good day."

            Turning the mobile's power off, Aiden returned to resting his chin upon his knees, arms wrapped innocently around his legs. Was he not so tall, he would appear childish; a boy lost in the worst thoughts one his age could dream.

            If Sir Elwood's witness was to be trusted, the description of the assailant could only describe one vampire- Alucard. Yet it was careless for the vampire to be spotted by an MI-5 agent as he fed, unless he wanted all of the Round Table to know of his reemergence, including the Hellsing Organization and its charges.

            "Quit moping. You look like such a child when you are like this."

            Sapphire eyes rolled up to glare at the vampiress standing at the foot of the bed. Her outfit was conservative tonight- a lavender blouse and navy trousers, and her hair was once again willed short, in a crisp bob.

            The words started as a breathless whisper, becoming even less audible as he continued; chin still resting upon his knees. "Too much is happening. You shouldn't have given Hellsing to me yet. I'm not ready."

            "I do not make mistakes, Master."

            His features hardened as he released his legs, sitting normally against the headboard. "I wish to speak with you as your son, Integra. Not as your commander."

            She smirked before fits of laughter echoed through his mind. He would be sick if she did not stop, and Argetni knew this. Alucard had done the same to her.

            Oh, it was such joy to lead the dance. . . . . .

            "Speak then. I will listen as you wish, only if you speak like a man, not a blubbering child."

            "Very well." An exasperated sigh escaped the boy's lips as he stood, smoothing his tie then hair before folding his arms across his chest, eyes fixed upon Argetni. "I can safely assume that you know why Sir Elwood called. I also assume that you know what Sir Radclyffe wishes for me to do. I am conflicted in which course of action I should engage for both."

            Holding his gaze, she then nodded in understanding, though the smirk did not recede. "It is for you to determine your future, Aiden, but be warned- while I despise both Catholics and the Radclyffe family- I cannot stress the fact that both will want you dead before you have the opportunity to sire an heir so they can take what is rightfully yours, including your pride and dignity."

            The stood in silence as the minutes passed, yet it was not awkward. Outside the room the servants were beginning their afternoon rounds, pushing carts filled with cleaning supplies through the aisle toward the unused guest rooms.

            "Do you believe that your maker is the one that instigated the crimes?"

            The piercing laugh came again as Argetni began to fade into the shadows. "What I believe is of no importance to mortals."


	9. Seductress

Aiden was learning that MI-5 proved utterly useless in providing pertinent information about vampires and their activities. They were not able to track the culprit, but only send the details of attacks after they occurred. If he wanted to personally hear such drabble, he would turn on the evening news programme and watch it as any other mortal would.

Sir Elwood remained in constant contact with all of the Hellsing officers, even though the killings grew fewer as time passed; the last one occurring two weeks prior. He insisted that the vampire that hunted Ballymacarrett was the most pressing concern to internal security, though Aiden disagreed. His instinct felt as if the hostile vampire already had been destroyed, and the vampire that hunted his own kind only wanted to let Hellsing know he still existed, nothing more.

If it truly was Alucard that prowled the city, creating the panic and mayhem of a supposed serial killer, he would either have kept his presence completely unknown or would have announced to the world that he had returned as he had done against Millennium over a century prior, not make a few appearances to mortal officers.

Even with all the concerns vying for prominence in the boy's life, Charles Radclyffe's abstract lessons in the ancient and obscure had become hour-long discussions to explain why he despised the monarchy and all organized religions. The Knight spoke of how the royals betrayed his ancestors by dissolving many of the political parties active in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, by allowing for witch hunts much earlier than that, and of course, the sheer injustice created by not giving the throne to one of Charles Stuart's bastard children after the official royal line had disappeared.

It was tiring to listen to the disgruntled Radclyffe speak as if he had been present at the original Charles' appearances at court. Therefore, he had taken to skipping the lessons, much to Argetni's delight. Still, he could not fully comprehend why his mentor had so drastically changed his position about these matters. As Aiden continually reminded himself, Charles was just distracted by Madelen's illness, and that was the cause of his madness. Were she healthy, his induction into the Rite would have been no more unusual than donating a large sum of money to the archives for research and preservation of materials, and he would be allowed to learn all the secrets of the Kingdom, if that were his choice.

At least that was what Sir Elwood had told him about his own induction in to the Rite.

Though the vampire activity in the United Kingdom was relatively high compared to the previous year, end of term at the Academy was drawing near, which was a good excuse for the boy-leader to shirk his duties in order to act as a normal student. Taking the initiative to study without the restraints of Hellsing, vampires in Northern Ireland, his mother, or his mentor, Aiden had hidden himself in the library, pouring over his schoolbooks for hours at a time.

He was so engrossed in his geometry notes one evening that Argetni was able to slip unnoticed in to the library and remove two books from the restricted section without moving as fog, bats, or through the shadows.

On the same night, it was Stephen that finally caught Aiden's attention by placing a tray of tea and biscuits upon the table where he worked, informing him that Sir Elwood, Cardinal Anderson, and a girl believed to be from the Academy- the name currently escaped him- had all asked that he return their calls.

With a weary nod while listening to the retainer, he decided to end his studies for the evening in order to attend to the calls in his office. Silently, he moved from the first to third floor to his stark office, filled with only his desk, chair, refrigerator, and an old leather couch on the wall nearest the door.

Elwood was the first call. His fellow knight only reported that no vampiric activity had been spotted during the past two days, and that he could only hope the Ballymacarrett monster had been destroyed by either Hellsing or the sunlight. He also reminded the boy that the annual court appearance of all of the Round Table membership was within the week, saying he could not wait to meet Aiden again, and that his youngest daughter Katie would be attending as well.

Cardinal Anderson was next, but Aiden was only able to leave a message for the head of Iscariot via one of the lower ranked priests. The dispute as to who should officially hunt the vampire was still at a stalemate- Anderson now claimed that since the majority of the population of the region was some form of Protestant that Hellsing were allowed to hunt the vampire while it was in Ballymacarrett, but not if it left the territory.

Aiden insisted that his organization be given full access to Dublin and its surrounding areas until the threat was eliminated. Hopefully, he would know within the day if he would be allowed to send his troops.

What he did not mention was that MI-5 had found a cache of blood-stained FREAK chips outside of their temporary headquarters the night after the last murder. Someone had already destroyed the contingent of vampires, and he did not wish to inform the Vatican of such activity. They would automatically blame Argetni, and he could not bear to see her hunted.

The final call was not to a girl from the Academy as Stephen had assumed, but instead was to Seras Victoria. Judging by the contact number she had given, she had not left London recently, as Argetni had stated.

Slowly he dialed, waiting patiently as the phone buzzed. His mind was clear so she would not be able to read his thoughts for whatever sick purpose she might use any of his secrets.

"Oh good. Did Stephen give you my entire message Sir Hellsing?"

"No. Unfortunately, Mr. Pershing believed you to be a fellow student at St. Sebastian's, so I was expecting to explain one of our assignments, not speak to one of the undead. You will forgive my surprise."

"Of course, Sir. What I wanted to know is if you knew anything about the rumors that a band of vampires is running through Northern Ireland and have recreated and modernized the FREAK chip technologies. Can you give the NAPHC and its most trusted hunter any useful information, for your problem is starting to migrate."

"Did the Vatican refuse to give you information?" His words were cold, in sharp contrast to her sweet plea for help. "Hellsing does not help those that associate with pagans and Catholic-lovers. Having worked for my Organization in the past, you should know this."

"Yes. Bishop Czani did contact his superiors, and my guess is that you either will receive a call from Cardinal Anderson, if you have not already. They claim that the place where the killings have all occurred is within the borders of Protestant territory, so it is your place, Sir Hellsing, to inform those sent to help eliminate the threat of the target's actions and whereabouts."

"The situation is under control, vampire." The word was drawn out; contempt rising with each syllable as it passed his lips. "The current situation in Ballymacarrett does not warrant the presence of my human troops, let alone my most effective weapon. I suggest you leave this country before I am forced to send Argetni against you and attend to matters in your own heathen land before bothering me again."

He heard a sigh through the speaker; Seras was obviously disappointed with his unwillingness to assist her.

"At least your sister and her father were not so stubborn as to not allow others to help them." Her tone was slightly more assertive, and he could practically see the vampiress clucking her tongue with her arms folded across her chest as she continued her rant. "Be warned, Sir, that your reluctance to chose the only action that will prevent a catastrophe the likes of which the world has yet to see will be your downfall. If my former Master wishes to return in all his glory, as it seems he will do soon, you will be driven to madness, for death is too good for one like you."

The click of the other phone being turned off faded to the constant beeping of a dead signal, and deliberately, he placed his phone in its resting spot, glaring down at the shining black box that his hand lay upon. What had caused the sudden personality shift from a sweet young woman to an ominous prophet was unknown.

"Argetni."

The name slipped sweetly from his lips as he swiveled the leather chair to face the glass door that led to the balcony. The moon was still waxing, but the soft light was nearly perfect for Aiden's tastes.

She had been out searching for amusement among the soldiers, only returning to her master because of his command, but when she stood across the balcony from the boy wearing her usual form-fitting leather and silk, tonight accented by a long powder blue jacket, her eyes blazed with the inhuman desire of the bloodlust; her face showed the combined rage and pleasure that Aiden's most private thoughts revealed.

She had yet to feed.

"Your orders, my master?"

Chills passed through his core as he stood from the chair and walked to meet her under the night sky, towering over the creature. She was impressed- any other mortal or immortal would find him quite intimidating, but Aiden was her own, a child in the world of men. His authority was only amusing. With every day she was near the boy, she understood all of Alucard's actions toward her during her mortal life, for it was her turn to play the monster, to corrupt the child in the name of sport.

Still it angered her that Aiden was better than she could have ever imagined her mortal self to be. He was the perfection she had strived to attain a century prior, both mentally and physically. Only a flicker of changing emotion on her face passed as she locked her eyes to his, then slowly, she brought her hands together, piercing the vein in her wrist as she offered the blood to the child.

He was brilliant, this child. Better than his dhampiric sister or moronic step-sister that she eliminated in her early life. He knew what these tiny infusions of her blood could do for his senses, and while his tongue was clumsy against the already-healing wound and his canines were barely sharp enough to pierce her skin, stopping this communion would be blasphemous.

The early leaders of Hellsing had been fools not to accept the blood. Then again, Alucard was not to be trusted, whereas she was the matriarch. Even if she wished to use her power to influence her family, who would believe that the elderly Integral Devries was in truth the Vampire Argetni.

Her free hand stroked his silken hair, eliciting a soft moan from the child. Soon, he would beg her to do what she pleased with him, that he would do anything for the blood. A true mortal would have already begun his pleas.

He knew when to stop. Within a few seconds, he stepped back from the vampire, breathing heavily as her blood trailed from the corner of his mouth; his eyes wide with the ecstasy that came with immortal blood.

She was now the master, and he understood. Yet this is how he wished for life to be, for his mother to still run Hellsing despite her obvious faults. Slowly, he uncovered a gloved hand to wipe the stain from his lips; his gaze never breaking from hers.

Once again, Argetni asked for her orders, and once more Aiden could only stare at her, begging silently for her blood. This time he was refused, and her abstinence was maddening. The true blood was much more pure than the womb's blood, and was his resolve less, he would have begged at her feet for another taste of either. But he knew that his nobility would not allow for such an act, and slowly, he drew his composure once again, staring silently at the seductress leaning against the balcony railing nearby as if nothing had just happened.

"Your orders, Argetni," God, he could not look at her now. His eyes remained upon the balcony floor, observing the cracks in the rock under their feet. "I want you to go to Ireland. To Ballymacarrett. Find Alucard and bring him to me, but do not kill him. I. . . . .I wish to meet him after my court appearance."

She stepped closer; he could now see her feet, feel her cool hand upon his cheek. No wonder she was so effective as a hunter; a lesser man would have already been molded to her will with just a look in to her eyes.

"Can I not attend court? I am the matriarch of the family, my son."

The chills came again, but this time, he backed from her in to the office. "No. This will be my first appearance as leader, and I do not need you ruining this for me. You will remain in your cellar during the ceremony."

"But if I am tracking the vampire you seek, shall I return home? That seems quite stupid."

"SHUT UP!" Choking back a sob as he could already feel the effect of the blood leaving his mortal system, Aiden finally turned to look at her once again, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "I want you to respect me as your master and complete your mission, you foul bitch!"


	10. Resurrection

Final Examinations were scheduled to begin the next day at The Academy, but tonight, four of its students were scattered through Buckingham Palace at the yearly Court Appearance of the Twelve- one of the few functions where entire families of the Royal Protestant Knights were allowed to attend. It was strange to see the wives and children alongside their counterparts, but to Aiden, who was alone this year, it was upsetting for reasons even he did not understand.

Early in the evening, he had found great conversation in the form of Princess Stephanie, the nineteen year old heir to the throne. It was no surprise to see the two together at a Royal function, for it was through the King's insistence that Aiden was always invited to Court since he was six years old, just to keep the princess company.

The familiarity between the two was usually interpreted incorrectly by passersby, and the other young noblemen spoke of how tragic it would be for the Princess to lower her standards to be with one such as Aiden. Neither cared about the rumors; being together made social functions bearable.

They had been sharing drinks and speaking of her American experience at Harvard when another of the Knights asked her to dance, taking her away from the bar where Aiden now sat alone; a half-empty glass of chardonnay in his hand.

He was not to be alone for long. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sir Elwood moving across the room toward where he sat.

"Sir Hellsing! Wonderful to see you again! We all missed you at Sir Aislan's ball- it is truly a shame that your mother's health kept you from attending." Sir Elwood smiled as he wrapped his arm around the boy, leading him away from the bar and toward his wife and two children, Peter and Katherine. "Katie has been just dying to meet you- did you know she has just completed Law School?"

"Why, no. I was far too concerned with my own exams that I have not been able to lead as active of a social life as I would prefer. I need to pass the level ten final before I can do anything else with my education."

He loved the disgust that flickered on the sandy blond haired girl's face as he took her hand in his own to kiss it. Apparently she had expected the leader of Hellsing to be at least near her age.

"Which school do you attend, Sir?"

"Oh, The Academy of St. Sebastian. Quite a few of the Round Table are currently sending their children there- is that your alma mater?"

"I'll leave you two. Come." He smiled at his wife, taking her hand to lead her to the dance floor.

Peter Elwood, the heir to the Round Table position for MI-5 was older than his sister, and to Aiden, the short, balding man looked every bit like the stereotypical Royal Protestant Knight. He too seemed to be akin of his father's attempt to couple his sister with the leader of Hellsing, and quickly dismissed himself to speak with one of his college friends.

Together, they stood in silence for a few moments, observing the other's mannerisms and dress. If she had to dance with the child as her father wished, he needed to be at least vaguely worthy of her attention.

She did not like his excessive height, nor did she approve of the hook to his nose. His crystal eyes seemed in stark contrast to his olive skin and black hair, which unsettled her slightly. He was too exotic for her tastes.

Unfortunately, she was forced to pretend that she enjoyed his company, if only for her father's sake.

"Look," Katie sighed as she glanced from the dance floor to Aiden, both walking out with the other couples to at least give her parents something to speculate. "I'm sure you're sweet, and I know you look older than you are, but I really don't want to end up with a boy- especially a boy that runs an organization such as yours."

What a relief! Aiden laughed heartily for the first time in weeks, leading her in a slow waltz, in perfect time with the string quartet's song. "Thank you. I'm not ready for all the damned marriage proposals every single one of the Knights is offering. But at least you seem intelligent- you know the risks involved with Hellsing."

"Only because Father tells stories of the damned Ballymacarrett vampire incessantly!" It was her turn to chuckle as he spun her slowly, the original discomfort of being in his presence now faded, and Katherine was finally enjoying the event. "I swear, you would think England is on the verge of being a ruled by the undead with the way he speaks! And there has yet to be another attack from this fool, but we still have thousands of men searching with garlic and wooden stakes for the culprit! Mark my words; this vampire is probably a mad teenager with a flare for the dramatic and knowledge of old literature."

"No, it is a vampire that committed those atrocities, but I believe it has been destroyed."

"Did that monster you employ kill it?"

He smirked as the music stopped, leaning to kiss her cheek. "I'd have to kill you if I revealed such classified information. Thank you for the dance."

Once his back was turned, Aiden chided himself for being so damned open and sweet to the woman. Court appearances, especially with the entire of the Protestant Knights, brought out his best behavior even in the presence of those Knights that still believed him to be a waiter or palace servant.

If luck would be with him tonight, he would sneak out to his car and hurry home before Argetni returned with her prize, but only after the King spoke with him about the current affairs of Hellsing.

Aiden assured himself it was a good plan. As long as he could remain inconspicuous for the next hour, it would work.

He was headed back to the bar when he felt another heavy hand upon his shoulder, stopping him just steps from where he wished to be.

"She's awake."

Aiden did not turn to face Sir Radclyffe, yet shivered as he heard those words. Was Madelen mentally sound? Had she told her father the truth of the incident?

"I am both delighted and relieved to hear such wonderful news, but as we are at a Court function, I cannot run to her bedside this instant, Sir."

The red haired knight pulled the boy around so he could glare at the child, his face a mixture of both outrage and joy. "Do you know what her first words were, boy? 'Aiden did it'. Not a smile and my name, or her mother's name, or any mad nonsense that even the doctors would be unable to decipher. No. 'Aiden did it'. And immediately after, she was sleeping again."

"I didn't do anything!" He was rapidly backing away from his mentor. A scandal such as this would be enough to have him removed from the Knights. Never mind that he could buy his way out of prison, he harmed a fellow noble and such crimes were remembered even if they were not punished.

"I don't think a horse harmed her, child. To tell the truth, I never did. It was you. You hit my daughter! Something about you isn't right, and I will learn what that is, boy. You watch your back, for I will do what so many others have failed. Hellsing will be destroyed. There will be no redemption from the Crown this time, that much I can assure you. But beware Aiden, Hellsing's days are numbered."

He had almost backed out of the great ballroom of Buckingham Palace when he felt a cold, hard hand against his back, stopping him from moving any farther.

Argetni had defied a direct order from her master.

"I told you to remain in your chambers."

The clink of her ebony cane on the tile as she stepped to his left allowed him a moment to slightly relax. At least she appeared as Dame Hellsing, not as the vampire.

"I had to contact you immediately, and I knew that you would not bring your mobile to Court. It would be quite improper." Her hand was still upon his back as she shuffled to his side, her floor-length black dress hanging loose on her slender body. "Our agents have caught the Ballymacarrett NHB, and it is exactly the creature you had speculated. I have used much of my strength containing him, so please, come home soon."

She had not spoken louder than a whisper, but almost instantly Sir Elwood appeared next to Radclyffe, bowing to the former knight.

"Dame Hellsing, I am glad to see you in good health, and I am quite pleased that you come bearing such news! My men will be overjoyed to leave Northern Ireland."

"As are mine. I ordered Hellsing's withdrawal, if that is acceptable."

Aiden nodded his approval, stepping closer to Elwood and his mother, leaving at least a meter's distance between the three and Radclyffe.

"This is quite the glorious day for both our Organizations!" Elwood was all smiles as he snatched four glasses of champagne from a passing server's tray, handing one to the three whose conversation he had interrupted. "To Hellsing and MI-5, keeping the nation safe from all internal threats, no matter how unbelievable."

The four raised their glasses before sipping the champagne, only to immediately bow to the King, that if not for the red sash across his chest, would have blended in to the crowd.

William was average middle aged man, his grey eyes much like his mother's before him. Unfortunately, he did not have his namesake's looks, but the king was the king, and he deserved their respect because of his benevolent actions, not his appearance.

"Quite a lovely evening, is it not?"

"It is even more lovely now, your Majesty." Elwood smiled as he stepped in front of the rest. "Dame Hellsing has just informed us that the threat in Ballymacarrett has been captured."

"Excellent! I would assume that Dame and Sir Hellsing would like to retire to their Organization for the remainder of the evening, am I correct?"

As the adults conversed, Aiden was handed a glass of cabernet from another passing waiter, and in turn, he handed it to his king with a slight smile. The elder gently grasped the glass, swirling its contents before drinking, whispering a comment to the boy that he was surprised that the staff was serving such poor wine at a function such as this.

Integral Devries, who had not been fully focused upon the King's actions, but instead watched Radclyffe's smirk fade to terror then return to a smirk once again as Aiden offered the glass to William, bowed slightly to the Royal, taking her son's hand in the process. "You are correct, Your Majesty. We have many matters to attend before the, culprit, can be tried."

"Carry on then. Hellsing will be rewarded for this, if you have captured the correct man."

Aiden knew what his mother had done- manipulated the very King of England with her mind. Yet he kept one arm around her waist and her hand in his free hand as they moved from the palace to the black Rolls Royce with Stephen inside, obviously waiting for their arrival.

The retainer knew not to ask questions when the lady of the house was in the car, so he raised the screen between the seats, giving Aiden and his mother privacy.

No sooner than the screen completely covered the space between the front and back that the elderly woman next to Aiden had changed her appearance to her usual younger form. "I know you did not wish for me to appear tonight, but Radclyffe was trying to trap you. I had to save the Organization's reputation."

"Oh, is that all." His words were muffled as he pressed in to the leather seat, arms folded across his chest. "So you lied to Sir Elwood and the King in order to save me from Charlie? What a joke!"

"No, Alucard is awaiting us. He was quite simple to capture."

For the next few minutes, Aiden remained silent, his mind reviewing every possible scenario that he could devise for his meeting with the original Hellsing vampire. Should he order Alucard destroyed? Should he enslave him once again? Or should he release Alucard with a warning to leave the island?

With each idea his fear increased. What would Alucard do when he saw the new leader of Hellsing? Would he mock Aiden because of his mixed blood? Would he refuse to listen to his rightful master because he did not believe that an Arab should be the leader of any organization, no matter what it was? He chided himself mentally; the supposed jests of his fellow Knights and classmates were manifesting themselves subconsciously.

"Calm yourself." With a jolt, Aiden woke from his thoughts to stare down at the gloved hand upon his knee. "Alucard feeds upon fear. He will torment you incessantly if you give him the slightest opportunity to find any of your faults. You are the rightful Master of Hellsing, and you will behave as such."

The car stopped at the foot of the entrance staircase, and just as quickly as she changed to her vampiric form, Argetni became Integral Devries just moments before Stephen opened the door for her to exit the vehicle.

But it was not the retainer and his mother that held Aiden's attention- it was the tall, black haired vampire leaning against the door. A cigarette perched between his lips barely illuminated his alabaster features, which held no trace of the creases caused by everyday life like younger immortals.

He smiled before laughing, amused with his fledgling's appearance, yet he did not speak as he watched Stephen lead her in to the manor before dismissing himself for the evening.

"You have yet to give up your mortality, Argetni? How pathetic to see one so strong as a plaything of the humans." His eyes traveled to Aiden, who had just closed the door behind himself, and was now untying his ascot. "Especially to a mongrel such as that. Why, if Abraham could see this abomination, he would surely dissolve all connections with the child. He is no Hellsing."

"A child cannot choose his parents." Aiden smirked, sitting on one of the plush couches that lined the entrance hall. "Argetni has strange fetishes, you do know this, and it is obvious that her want for a new experience that coupled her with one of her troops, is it not?"

Alucard only tossed the cigarette to the ground, not acknowledging the question.

Argetni, who had reverted back to her vampiric form, glowered at Alucard, arms folded across her chest. It was obvious that she was restraining her emotions; trying to remain diplomatic. "Alucard, he is Hellsing. I am certain that you understand what that entails."

Her words were met with mad laughter. It was obvious that this vampire had not been captured, as Argetni stated earlier, but was here of his own will. This Alucard was frightening, a true monster among monsters. He had read the files when the suggestion that the Ballymacarrett vampire was indeed the creature standing just meters away, and they had described the creature perfectly.

"Yes, I was in Ballymacarrett, but not the killer you seek." Alucard sobered immediately, a smirk upon his lips as he lowered his glasses to stare at the boy. "The vermin that killed the Protestant clergy was a contingent of fanatical Catholics supported by Section XIII."

"Come off it." Aiden snapped, bringing one knee to his chest in order to rest his gloved hands upon it. "Cardinal Anderson would be the last person in the world to allow the creation of a new band of FREAK vampires."

"Oh, he would create a bunch of FREAKs in the vain hope of destroying me. It obviously didn't work as well as my dear Judas believed."

The boy sighed, in desperate need of sleep after the Court appearance, and before the start of his school exams. "I expect both of you to meet me here at eight tomorrow. We will discuss the Ballymacarrett incident in detail at that time."

Alucard laughed again, the peals growing more intense as Argetni's eyes flickered with some strange understanding as she peered in to his own, immediately running for the nearest exit.

"What upset her?" Aiden's brows furrowed in confusion as he stood from his seat on the couch, heading toward the stairs. "It's not like her to leave in such a rush."

Alucard's smirk never faltered as the boy passed him. "She was a fool not to allow me the pleasure of destroying the Radclyffe family when she was mortal."


	11. Revalation

_She was a fool to not allow me the pleasure of destroying the Radclyffe family when she was mortal._

What in God's name had Alucard meant when he spoke those words? Surely, whatever bothered Argetni tonight could not have anything to do with Charles Radclyffe and the Rite. Radclyffe was at the palace; he could not personally move against Hellsing while he was in the presence of the Royal Family. To do so would mean that Radclyffe placed his own titles and position in jeopardy. Unless he had created a flawless plan to destroy Hellsing, he would not dare begin his deception tonight.

Then again, when had Sir Radclyffe made sense during the past year? The thought crossed the boy's mind, but soon disappeared with the distractions vying for his attention.

There had been no time for successful studying this night. Alucard's meeting had extended another two hours while Aiden tried to settle in to his usual routine. No matter where he went, the vampire seemed to follow, but only observe his actions. It was unnerving, to say the least. He believed Alucard finally lost interest in following him after Aiden began reciting geometry problems aloud, giving the boy a chance to slip away to his room for some much-needed sleep.

Stifling a yawn, Aiden stepped from the master bathroom to his bedchambers, grabbing the television remote; turning it on as he flopped upon his bed. Maybe there would be some comedy special on- he could use a laugh right now. Even Madelen could wait; he would call her after exams to learn of her condition.

"….suspected to have been an assassination by an apparently satanic group. Scotland Yard has not released many details about the investigation, only that the group is believed to have originated just outside London. It is unknown how the group "And Shine Heaven Now" could commit such a crime while some of the highest ranking officials in the Royal Court were in attendance."

The boy bolted upright, his finger on the volume, increasing the sound. Too many questions needed answers, but all he could do now was listen to the report.

"I would like to warn viewers that the next images may be disturbing."

The pale backs of a man and young woman faced the camera as the couple lay neatly on an autopsy table.

It made him sick- carved upon their backs was the Hellsing sigal. Not the Coat of Arms, not the similar design Harker had implemented as the Organization's seal for its documents, but the one belonging to the vampires in its service. Someone had done extensive research to be able to copy the design perfectly, and as soon as he discovered who actually committed the crime, that person would surely pay.

"Today and tomorrow will be national days of mourning as funeral preparations are made for King William VI and Princess Stephanie."

Aiden yelped in horror as he leaped from the bed, kneeling in front of the television with his hands upon the sides as if he would shake it. "Oh God, no. . . . .we would never do this. . . . I'm going to be hanged. . . . ."

His words grew quiet as he sank to the floor, choking on sobs that passed his lips as he began to cry. The journalist still spoke, but he could not bring himself to focus upon her words. Hellsing was ruined. He could not prove that his vampire was fully contained and her power restricted without betraying his mother's identity, and in turn his own.

He had to leave immediately after giving the King that glass of wine! Perhaps it had been poisoned since it did not taste right! If he had remained at the palace, surely, he would have a believable alibi for his whereabouts during the incident.

No, the wine had to be a poor vintage, just as William said. Food poisons were supposed to be tasteless. At least that would make sense, then the victim would continue consuming the tainted meal without question.

How had it occurred so quickly? In less than two hours since his return from Court, the remaining two members of the Royal Family had died and their corpses had been mutilated. No ordinary mortal could do such a thing.

Alucard.

The bastard was too smug upon Aiden's arrival home. He had not tried to kill Argetni as was expected after their long separation. Aiden had read the journals about his sister's death during his search for any evidence of Seras and Abraham; Alucard vowed revenge upon his fledgling.

His mind screamed for Argetni's help as he reached for the telephone, dialing the first few numbers of Scotland Yard. He needed to explain that he was at home with the threat from Ballymacarrett; that he had to seal the vampire away so it could not harm the nation any longer-

Aiden stopped, placing the receiver back in its charging case. His explanation would be unbelievable for an hourly employee whose only talent was answering the phone. Sir Elwood would be of no use either, since even though he knew vampires existed, he also knew about the vampire in Aiden's employ, and what the design on the bodies meant.

He moved to his closet, opening the doors wide to survey his belongings while he tried to devise a way to come out of this scandal with his reputation still in manageable disarray.

Obviously, if Sir Elwood was still at the function when the bodies were found, the authorities would know where to find Aiden. If he had already left, terrorists would be suspected, and perhaps the local police forces would not immediately think to accuse Hellsing.

More than likely Elwood or some other Round Table member that ever noticed and remembered the regular seal affixed upon Hellsing's official letterhead had remained at the palace after the Royal family dismissed themselves for the night. That seal was less complex than the carving upon the flesh, but who else with access to the King would leave such a mark as a calling card?

Assuming Elwood had been informed of the situation, he would have an entire force headed to the manor house at this moment. Mobilizing Hellsing's human troops against the police and MI-5 would send the wrong message to the country, but it was going to be incredibly difficult to maneuver out of treason charges without such an action.

Argetni had fled the manor earlier in the evening. He could call for her, but once again, the mobilization of any unit was unacceptable because of the situation.

With a sigh, Aiden moved deeper in to his closet, not able to find anything that would suit going in to hiding. He had no jeans, no casual shirts, nothing but the finest clothing his tailors could produce.

His father's closet! How could he forget? Argetni had not touched the room since Tariq's death, and with a home as big as the manor, so many of the rooms went uninhabited for years. Sprinting down the hall, he came to the room closest to the outside corner and stepped inside, rushing to the closet.

On the surface it seemed as if Tariq Seyed's wardrobe was filled with the same attire as his son's, but after pulling a few suits from the rack, Aiden found an acceptable wardrobe. It was still a bit too nice for running away, but much better than his own clothing.

It was too short in the arms and legs, but suited its purpose well enough. He could buy a new outfit during the day. For now, if he could get to the trains without being recognized, he could leave the city and wait for the entire mess to settle down.

Once again he thought of Argetni. Would she understand his intentions and be able to find him if he fled London? As he slipped through the manor, avoiding the late-night personnel that were oblivious to the current state of affairs, he begged God for the insight and grace to survive, and Argetni for her advice. She had been branded a traitor in her mortal years; obviously she could help him now.

Stephen noticed the master of the house as the two passed near the kitchens, but did not speak, only nodding to the boy as he passed. Aiden was relieved, but saddened. This man had given his life to the service of a monster and a child, and would be rewarded with interrogations and possibly prison.

The moon was full this night; the air was clear. The boy was grateful for the break from the usual weather pattern, although he could not determine how far away the police sirens were. The authorities were coming to Hellsing, and he was still deep in his own lands.

First, he decided, that he would make certain that no police or military had followed him, and then he would find Madelen to resolve the disagreement of the two accounts of what happened the night of her injury. After that, Aiden had no idea where he would hide, except that it needed to be far away from London.

Choosing to exit through the wooded area near the public stables just past the barracks, the boy sprinted across his land, stopping in the cover of the groomed bushes and large trees in order to see the newly arrived authorities just outside his front door. Their offensive strategy was lacking in brilliance, as the only visible officers were entering the manor and stationed at the front gates. This meant that one of the Round Table was giving him a chance to flee, or the police were absolutely incompetent.

A shrill neigh broke the night silence as he passed the stable, but apprehension faded upon surveying the area, since there were no vehicles in the parking lot, and no people visible.

The train station was close. If he ran, he could be there in five minutes.

Screw Madelen. If more of her relatives heard the condemnation, the entire Radclyffe family would try to hand him over to the authorities.


End file.
